The current state of per oral endoscopic myotomy for achalasia.

Publication Title

J Vis Surg

Authors

Shane P Smith, Department of Thoracic Surgery, Swedish Medical Center, Seattle, WAFollow
Brian E Louie, Division of Thoracic Surgery, Swedish Medical Center and Cancer Institute, Seattle, WashingtonFollow

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

1-1-2017

Keywords

Heller myotomy; Per oral endoscopic myotomy (POEM); achalasia; minimally invasive

Abstract

Achalasia is an acquired neuromuscular disorder that has been treated using a variety of modalities throughout medical history. Recently, the technique of per oral endoscopic myotomy (POEM) was introduced to treat the disease using a truly minimally invasive, natural orifice technique that is rapidly being adopted across the world. This review outlines the development of POEM, the technique itself, and gives a comparison to other procedures, specifically laparoscopic Heller myotomy (LHM).

Specialty/Research Institute

Surgery