Peroral Endoscopic Myotomy Procedure Research Articles

Peroral Endoscopic Myotomy: What Nurses Need to Know to Provide Preeminent Perioperative Care.

This article aims to explore details of research, evidence, and key concepts intended for nurses and other healthcare clinicians surrounding the paradigm shift in therapeutic endoscopy relating to the third-space endoscopic procedure, peroral endoscopic myotomy. Although many medical publications detail the procedure, there are no specific guidelines for nurses to reference when caring for the patient undergoing peroral endoscopic myotomy. With scant published resources available to direct nurses distinctly in the delivery of exceptional care to patients undergoing peroral endoscopic myotomy, there is an identified need for collated information to be accessible to all nurses providing perioperative teaching and care. As peroral endoscopic myotomy continues to transpire as a mainstream or preferred standard treatment for patients who suffer from achalasia, relevant education remains to be fully understood and assessed in the nursing arena. By examining nursing considerations for patient care, indications, techniques, and advancements regarding this ever-emergent breakthrough, readers will discover guidance in comprehensive care encompassing patients undergoing the peroral endoscopic myotomy procedure.

Anaesthetic management and associated complications of per-oral endoscopic myotomy (POEM) procedure in a patient with achalasia cardia type II: A case report

Achalasia, a benign motility disorder of the esophagus, results in incomplete relaxation of the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) and absent peristalsis. Patients experience dysphagia, regurgitation, chest pain, weight loss, and heartburn. Pharmacological therapy has been unsatisfactory and definitive treatment has focused on mechanical disruption of the tight LES. Peroral endoscopic myotomy (POEM) is a safe and minimally invasive modality regarded as the first line management of all types of achalasia. POEM is performed under general anesthesia with endotracheal intubation using an orally inserted gastrointestinal endoscope. Briefly, POEM involves endoscopic creation of a mid-esophageal submucosal incision, creation of a submucosal tunnel with the endoscope, and then a myotomy of distal circular muscles with a Triangular Tip electrosurgical (TT) knife, resulting in relaxation of the achalasia. We, hereby report a case of a patient with Achalasia Cardia Type II posted for POEM procedure under General Anaesthesia.

Use of the Scissor-Type Knife During the Peroral Endoscopy Myotomy Procedure for the Treatment of Achalasia

Peroral endoscopic myotomy (POEM) is one of the first-line treatment modalities along with pneumatic dilation and Heller myotomy for patients with achalasia. Endoscopists, especially trainees during the learning phase, commonly face difficulty in tissue plane dissection and selective myotomy while working near the esophagogastric junction, with increased risks of inadvertent injury, unexpected bleeding, and inadequate myotomy. To minimize the technical difficulty and improve the safety of POEM, we describe a protocol for using a scissor-type knife for the main steps of POEM, including mucosal incision, submucosal tunneling, myotomy, and hemostasis. The standard techniques used with the scissor-type knife involve grasping the target tissue, and then dissection or coagulation. The confirmation of the cutting line after grasping improves the accuracy and reliability of dissection, which is particularly useful for the selective myotomy of the internal circular muscle. Meanwhile, the scissor-type knife provides enhanced hemostatic capability and enables hemostasis and pre-coagulation without the device exchange for hemostatic forceps. Evaluation of the clinical outcomes in three patients who successfully received POEM using the scissor-type knife revealed no perioperative adverse events. At the 3-month follow-up, all patients achieved clinical success with postoperative Eckardt scores ranging from 0 to 1. In conclusion, the use of a scissor-type knife could minimize the technical difficulty and improve the safety of the POEM procedures, which may be suitable for trainees during the learning phase.

Use of the Scissor-Type Knife During the Peroral Endoscopy Myotomy Procedure for the Treatment of Achalasia

Peroral endoscopic myotomy (POEM) is one of the first-line treatment modalities along with pneumatic dilation and Heller myotomy for patients with achalasia. Endoscopists, especially trainees during the learning phase, commonly face difficulty in tissue plane dissection and selective myotomy while working near the esophagogastric junction, with increased risks of inadvertent injury, unexpected bleeding, and inadequate myotomy. To minimize the technical difficulty and improve the safety of POEM, we describe a protocol for using a scissor-type knife for the main steps of POEM, including mucosal incision, submucosal tunneling, myotomy, and hemostasis. The standard techniques used with the scissor-type knife involve grasping the target tissue, and then dissection or coagulation. The confirmation of the cutting line after grasping improves the accuracy and reliability of dissection, which is particularly useful for the selective myotomy of the internal circular muscle. Meanwhile, the scissor-type knife provides enhanced hemostatic capability and enables hemostasis and pre-coagulation without the device exchange for hemostatic forceps. Evaluation of the clinical outcomes in three patients who successfully received POEM using the scissor-type knife revealed no perioperative adverse events. At the 3-month follow-up, all patients achieved clinical success with postoperative Eckardt scores ranging from 0 to 1. In conclusion, the use of a scissor-type knife could minimize the technical difficulty and improve the safety of the POEM procedures, which may be suitable for trainees during the learning phase.

Peroral endoscopic myotomy: is it better to perform it in naive patients or as second-line therapy? Results of an open-label-controlled study in 105 patients

BackgroundWhether Peroral Endoscopic Myotomy (POEM) can be proposed as a second-line treatment in patients with achalasia remains to be confirmed in real-life series.ObjectiveThis study aimed to compare the efficacy, feasibility and safety of POEM between treatment-naïve patients and patients who had prior endoscopic or surgical therapies for achalasia.MethodsAll consecutive patients who underwent a POEM procedure for achalasia in our centre from June 2015 to September 2018 were included in this retrospective study. They were classified into treatment-naïve patients (POEM1) and patients who had at least one previous endoscopic and/or surgical treatment for achalasia (POEM2).ResultsA total of 105 patients were included, 52 in the POEM1 group and 53 in the POEM2 group. Clinical success (defined as an Eckardt score ≤ 3) at 6 months was observed in 93% of POEM1 patients and 84% of POEM2 patients (p = 0.18). Technical success rate was not significantly different between the two groups (100% vs 96%, respectively; p = 0.50). No significant difference was noted in terms of adverse event rate (19% vs 19%, respectively; p = 1.00). Post-procedure pain occurred in 12% of treatment-naive and 9% of non-naïve patients (p = 0.76). The median length of hospital stay was 3 days in both groups (p = 0.17). Symptomatic gastroesophageal reflux occurred in 25% of POEM1 patients and 16% of POEM2 patients (p = 0.24).ConclusionEfficacy, feasibility and safety of POEM are not different between treatment-naïve and non-naïve patients. POEM is a valuable second-line approach in patients with persistent symptoms of achalasia after surgical or endoscopic treatments.

The utility of Endoscopic Functional Luminal Imaging (EndoFLIP) in the diagnosis and management of children with achalasia

Per-oral endoscopic myotomy (POEM) has is an alternative treatment to laparoscopic Heller myotomy for children with achalasia. The EndoFLIP functional luminal imaging system is used to measure esophagogastric junction (EGJ) distensibility pre- and post-POEM. Previous adult studies have established a correlation between obstructive symptoms and Distensibility Index (DI). Here we analyze the utility of EndoFLIP in diagnosis and management of achalasia in the largest study on pediatric POEM patients and hypothesize that DI may aid diagnosis and treatment of pediatric achalasia. Demographics, preoperative basal and residual pressures measured on manometry, and EndoFLIP measurements pre- and post-POEM were recorded for children that underwent POEM. Pearson correlation coefficient and T-scores were used to assess for correlation between manometry measurements and pre-POEM DI. Linear regression was conducted to analyze the relationship between pre-POEM DI, Eckardt scores, and manometry pressures. Of 33 patients that underwent POEM and EndoFLIP since 2014 (21 male, 12 female), the median pre-POEM Eckardt score decreased from 7 to 1 post-POEM. The median basal pressure was 50±25mmHg, pre-POEM DI was 0.9 (0.8-1.6) mm2/mmHg and the post-POEM DI was 3.8 (3.2-4.4) mm2/mmHg. There was no correlation between DI and basal pressure or residual pressure, though there was a strong negative correlation between Eckardt scores and DI. The EndoFLIP system is a valuable tool in adult patients in diagnosing achalasia and defining the endpoint of the POEM procedure. We find that there is a role for EndoFLIP in the pediatric population in diagnosis and management of the disease. Study of diagnostic test; Level IV.

Impact of peroral endoscopic myotomy on high-resolution manometry findings and their association with the procedure’s outcomes

Peroral endoscopic myotomy (POEM) is conducted for patients with esophageal motility disorders based on high-resolution manometry (HRM) findings. However, the impact of POEM on HRM findings and the associations between post-POEM HRM and outcomes have not been clarified. In a multicenter, observational, cohort study, patients with achalasia treated by POEM received follow-up HRM. Associations between patient characteristics, POEM procedures, and post-POEM HRM findings, including integrated relaxation pressure (IRP) and distal contractile integral (DCI), were investigated. Furthermore, POEM procedure outcomes were compared with post-POEM HRM findings. Of 2171 patients, 151 (7.0%) showed residual high post-POEM IRP (≥26mm Hg; Starlet [Starmedical Ltd, Tokyo, Japan]). In a multivariate analysis, high pre-POEM IRPs (odds ratio [OR], 24.3) and gastric myotomy >2 cm (OR, .22) were found to be positive and negative predictive factors of high post-POEM IRPs, respectively. Peristalsis recovery (DCI≥500mm Hg/cm/s, at least 1 swallow; Starlet) was visible in 121 of 618 patients (19.6%) who had type II to III achalasia. High pre-POEM IRP (OR, 2.65) and DCI≥500 (OR, 2.98) predicted peristalsis recovery, whereas esophageal dilation (OR, .42) predicted a risk of no recovery. Extended myotomy did not reveal a significant impact on peristalsis recovery. High or low post-POEM IRP and DCI did not increase the incidence of clinical failure, reflux esophagitis, or symptomatic GERD. Extended gastric myotomy decreased IRP values, whereas peristalsis recovery depended on the characteristics of achalasia. A residual high post-POEM IRP does not necessarily mean clinical failure. Routine HRM follow-up is not recommended after POEM.

S381 Retrieving an Endoscopic Cap From the Submucosal Tunnel During a POEM Procedure: Keep an Eye on the Cap Before Closing the Mucosal Incision

Introduction: Achalasia is an esophageal motility disorder that results in the failure of the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) to relax. Moderate to severe forms of the Achalasia can be debilitating due to the patients’ inability to tolerate PO food or drink; often experiencing constant pain or pressure. Peroral endoscopic myotomy (POEM) is a relatively novel endoscopic procedure that has shown more favorable results when compared with other therapeutic modalities in the treatment of achalasia. This case illustrates retrieving an endoscopic cap from a closed submucosal tunnel during a POEM procedure. Case Description/Methods: A 74-year-old woman with type 3 achalasia underwent a seemingly routine POEM. At the beginning of the procedure, the GE junction was located, and methylene blue was injected to lift the mucosa at the site of the initial mucosectomy. After the mucosectomy was made, the endoscope was used to enter the submucosal tunnel, which was further lengthened by continued lifting and dissection. The submucosal tunnel was then extended to about 1 to 2 cm distal to the gastroesophageal junction (GEJ), and the myotomy was performed that extended into the cardia with no observed complications. After the mucosectomy site was closed with 4 endoclips, it appeared that the cap of the endoscope was missing after the endoscope’s removal from the esophagus. Upon further inspection of the patient's month, bed and floor in the procedure room, the cap was still missing. The endoscope was then reinserted into the patient’s esophagus to continue the search for the lost cap. The intraluminal compartment of the stomach, the esophagus, and the patient’s oropharynx showed no evidence of the cap. Video of the endoscopic procedure was reviewed, and it revealed the presence of bulging mucosa in the distal esophagus along with the absence of the endoscope cap during the clipping of the mucosectomy site. It was determined that the cap was most likely in the submucosal tunnel. After the initial four clips were removed by rat tooth forceps and deposited into the stomach, the scope went into the submucosal tunnel again. The cap was visualized in the submucosal tunnel and removed with the same rat tooth forceps, which was followed by reclosing the mucosectomy site with four more clips. The patient had a successful postoperative course. Discussion: Review of this case prompts further discussion and research into a more stable cap design for the endoscope, especially for third space endoscopy. Watch the video at https://tinyurl.com/ACGAbstractS381

Impact of modified techniques on outcomes of peroral endoscopic myotomy: A narrative review.

Peroral endoscopic myotomy (POEM) is an established frontline treatment modality for achalasia cardia. Since its initial description, several modifications have been proposed to the technique of POEM. Broadly speaking, these modifications follow the basic principles of submucosal endoscopy, but incorporate variations in the POEM technique, including the difference in the orientation of myotomy (anterior or posterior), length of myotomy (short or long), and thickness of myotomy (selective circular or full thickness). Some of these modifications have been shown to reduce procedural duration without compromising the efficacy of the POEM procedure. More recently, several alterations have been reported that intend to reduce gastroesophageal reflux after POEM. These include preservation of sling fibers during posterior POEM and addition of NOTES fundoplication to the POEM procedure. Although some of the modified techniques have been compared with the conventional techniques in quality trials, randomized studies are awaited for others. The incorporation of some of these modifications will likely make POEM a technically easy and safer modality in near future. This review aims to discuss the current evidence with regard to the impact of modified techniques on the outcome of POEM.

Peroral Endoscopic Myotomy; Novice Surgeon Learning Curve.

Peroral endoscopic myotomy (POEM) is a novel endoscopic procedure used to treat achalasia and other spastic esophageal disorders that is an alternative to Heller myotomy. We seek to define the learning curve of POEM for a foregut surgeon with no formal endoscopic or POEM training by analyzing different intraoperative factors in a single series. The first 38 consecutive patients undergoing POEM by a single foregut surgeon were included in this retrospective study. Inverse curve regression models were used to analyze total operative time (TOT) and total operative time per centimeter of myotomy (TOT-CM), in addition to other intraoperative variables. Clinical outcomes were reported as pre- and post-operative Eckardt Scores. All patients had type II achalasia with no post-operative complications observed. Eckardt scores improved postoperatively (median (range): 1 (0-4)) compared with the preoperative scores (10 (8-12)) (P < .001). The total operative time (median 76minutes, range 51-129) decreased significantly over the course of the series (R2 = .38, P < .001), with a learning plateau at 70minutes and a learning rate of 12 cases. Total operative time per centimeter of myotomy (median 7.08min/cm, range 4.25 to 15.38) decreased over time (R2 = .45, P < .001), with a learning plateau at 7minutes/cm and a learning rate of 12 cases. The number of cases for a foregut surgeon to become proficient in a POEM procedure was found to be 12-14 cases. The learning curve for a POEM in a formally trained foregut surgeon may be comparable to an endoscopically trained interventionist.

High Eckardt score and previous treatment were associated with poor postperoral endoscopic myotomy pain control: A retrospective study.

BACKGROUNDPeroral endoscopic myotomy (POEM) is a safe and effective endoscopic treatment for achalasia. However, postoperative pain management for these patients is often neglected by anesthesiologists because of the short operative time, short hospital stay and the minimally invasive nature of the procedure.AIMTo assess the pain and sleep quality of achalasia patients receiving the POEM procedure and investigate factors that affect postoperative pain.METHODSThis observational study included patients with achalasia who underwent POEM at Zhongshan Hospital from December 2017 to March 2018. General anesthesia was performed with endotracheal intubation. The postoperative visual analog scale (VAS), postoperative sleep quality, basic patient information, and surgical parameters were collected. Depending on whether the 12-h post-POEM VAS score was less than 4, patients were divided into two groups, a well-controlled pain group and a poorly controlled pain group. Univariate, multivariate, and stepwise logistic regression analyses were used to investigate risk factors for poor pain control. A prediction model of post-POEM pain risk was established in the form of a nomogram. The calibration curve and receiver operating characteristic curve were used to evaluate the clinical usage of the prediction model. Repeated measures analysis of variance and simple effect analysis were used to verify whether differences in the VAS and sleep scores of the high- and low-risk groups, divided by the model from the raw data, were statistically significant.RESULTSA total of 45 eligible patients were included. Multivariate logistic regression and further stepwise logistic regression analysis found that the preoperative Eckardt score [odds ratio (OR): 1.82, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.17-2.84, P < 0.001], previous treatment (OR: 7.59, 95%CI: 1.12-51.23, P = 0.037) and the distance between the end of the muscle incision and the cardia (OR: 1.52, 95%CI: 0.79-293.93, P = 0.072) were risk factors for post-POEM pain. Repeated measures analysis of variance demonstrated that VAS (P = 0.0097) and sleep scores (P = 0.043) were higher in the high-risk group, and the interactions between the two main effects were obvious (VAS score: P = 0.019, sleep score: P = 0.035). Further simple effect analysis found that VAS scores were higher in the high-risk group at 2 h, 6 h and 12 h (P = 0.005, P = 0.019, P < 0.001), and sleep scores were higher in the high-risk group at day 1 (P = 0.006).CONCLUSIONAchalasia patients who underwent POEM experienced serious postoperative pain, which may affect sleep quality. A higher Eckardt score, previous treatment, and a longer distance between the muscle incision ending and the cardia were risk factors for poor post-POEM pain control.

Adverse Events Associated With Peroral Endoscopic Myotomy Affecting Extended Hospital Stay: A Multi-center Retrospective Study in South Korea.

Background/AimsTo analyze various adverse events (AEs) related to the peroral endoscopic myotomy (POEM) procedure and to analyze whether these AEs are related to an extended hospital stay.MethodsPatients admitted for POEM for esophageal motility disorders from August 2012 to February 2020 at 5 centers were retrospectively collected. Length of hospital stay, AEs during or after the POEM procedure were analyzed.ResultsOf the 328 patients, 63.1% did not have any AEs, but 2.4% had major AEs, and 33.4% had minor AEs. Major AEs included mucosal injury, bleeding, and hemothorax, accounting for 1.5%, 0.6%, and 0.3%, respectively. Among the minor AEs, pneumoperitoneum was the most common gas-related AEs. Among non-gas-related minor AEs, pneumonia was the most common at 4.6%, followed by pain, fever, and pleural effusion. All major AEs had meaningful delayed discharge and significantly extended hospital stay compared to the no AEs group (median differences range 4.5-9.0 days). Among gas-related minor AEs, except for 4 cases of emphysema, the extended hospital stay was meaningless. All non-gas-related minor AEs was associated with a significant prolongation of hospital stay compared to that in the no AEs group (median differences range 2.0-4.0 days).ConclusionsIn conclusion, most gas-related minor AEs do not significantly affect the patient’s clinical course. However, subcutaneous emphysema and minor non-gas related AEs such as pneumonia, pain, fever, and pleural effusion can prolong the hospital stay, therefore careful observation is required. Efforts will be made to reduce major AEs that significantly prolong hospitalization.

Effect of Drinking Warm Water on Esophageal Preparation Before Peroral Endoscopic Myotomy in Patients With Achalasia.

Background/AimsFood retention, which is a characteristic observed in patients with achalasia, can interfere with peroral endoscopic myotomy (POEM). However, there is no established guideline for esophageal preparation for POEM. A previous study has shown that drinking warm water may reduce the lower esophageal sphincter pressure in patients with achalasia. This study aims to evaluate the possibility of proper preparation of POEM by instructing the patient to drink warm water.MethodsThe warm water preparation was performed in 29 patients with achalasia who underwent POEM. The patients drank 1 L of warm water (60oC) the night before POEM. We evaluated the esophageal clearness and determined the preparation quality. Twenty-nine patients were prospectively recruited and compared to control group. The control cohort comprised achalasia patients whose endoscopic image was available from the achalasia database of our institution. A 12 propensity score-matched control cohort was established from the database of achalasia subjects (n = 155) to compare the outcome of the preparation.ResultsIn the warm water preparation group, only 1 patient (3.4%) had some solid retention, but it did not interfere with the POEM procedure. The grade of clearness (P = 0.016) and quality of preparation (P < 0.001) were significantly better in the warm water preparation group than in the matched control group. There was no any adverse event at all related to warm water preparation protocol.ConclusionsDrinking warm water dramatically reduces esophageal food retention and significantly improves the quality of esophageal preparation. This simple protocol is quite useful, safe, and cost-effective in the preparation of achalasia patients for POEM.

POEM, GPOEM, and ZPOEM.

Our tripartite narrative review discusses Peroral Endoscopic Myotomy (POEM), gastric POEM (GPOEM) and POEM for Zenker's diverticula (ZPOEM). POEM is the prototypical procedure that launched the novel "3rd space endoscopy" field of advanced endoscopy. It revolutionized achalasia therapy by offering a much less invasive version of the prior gold standard, the laparoscopic Heller myotomy (HM). We review in detail indications, outcomes, technique variations and comparative data between POEM and HM particularly with regard to the hotly debated issue of GERD. We then proceed to discuss two less illustrious but nevertheless important offshoots of the iconic POEM procedure: GPOEM for gastroparesis and ZPOEM for the treatment of hypopharyngeal diverticula. For GPOEM, we discuss the rationale of pylorus-directed therapies, briefly touch on GPOEM technique variations and then focus on the importance of proper patient selection and emerging data in this area. On the third and final part of our review, we discuss ZPOEM and expound on technique variations including our "ultra-short tunnel technique". Our review emphasizes that, despite the superiority of endoscopy over surgery for the treatment of hypopharyngeal diverticula, there is no clear evidence yet of the superiority of the newfangled ZPOEM technique compared to the conventional endoscopic myotomy technique practiced for over two decades prior to the advent of ZPOEM.

Peroral endoscopic longer vs shorter esophageal myotomy for achalasia treatment: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUNDPeroral endoscopic myotomy (POEM) has been demonstrated to be safe and effective in the treatment of achalasia. Longer myotomy is the standard POEM procedure for achalasia but when compared with shorter myotomy, its effectiveness is not as well known. AIMTo compare the clinical effectiveness of longer and shorter myotomy. METHODSPubMed, EmBase, Cochrane Library, web of science and clinicaltrials.gov were queried for studies comparing shorter and longer POEM for achalasia treatment. The primary outcome was clinical success rate. Secondary outcomes comprised of operative time, adverse events (AEs) rate, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and procedure-related parameters. The Mantel-Haenszel fixed-effects model was primarily used for the analysis. Publication bias was assessed.RESULTSSix studies were included in this analysis with a total of 514 participants. During the follow-up period of 1-28.7 mo, longer and shorter myotomy in treating achalasia showed similar excellent effectiveness [overall clinical success (OR = 1, 95%CI: 0.46-2.17, P = 1, I2: 0%; subgroup of abstract (OR = 1.19, 95%CI: 0.38 to 3.73; P = 0.76; I2: 0%); subgroup of full text (OR = 0.86 95%CI: 0.30 to 2.49; P = 0.78; I2: 0%)]. Shorter myotomy had significantly reduced mean operative time compared with the longer procedure. There were no statistically significant differences in AEs rates, including GERD (overall OR = 1.21, 95%CI: 0.76-1.91; P = 0.42; I2: 9%; subgroup of abstract OR = 0.77, 95%CI: 0.40-1.47; P = 0.43; I2: 0%; subgroup of full text OR = 1.91, 95%CI: 0.98-3.75; P = 0.06; I2: 0%), hospital stay (overall MD = -0.07, 95%CI: -0.30 to 0.16; P = 0.55; I2: 24%; subgroup of abstract MD = 0.20, 95%CI: -0.25 to 0.65; P = 0.39; I2: 0; subgroup of full text MD = -0.16, 95%CI: -0.42 to 0.10; P = 0.23; I2: 42%), and major bleeding (overall OR = 1.25, 95%CI: 0.58-2.71; P = 0.56; I2: 0%) between the two procedures. These differences remained statistically non-significant in all sensitivity analyses.CONCLUSIONPOEM was effective in treating achalasia. Shorter and longer myotomy procedures provided similar therapeutic effects in terms of long-term effectiveness. In addition, shorter myotomy reduced the operative time.

Modified Peroral Endoscopic Myotomy Technique for Type II Achalasia: A Multicenter Retrospective Study.

Aim This retrospective study is aimed at evaluating the outcomes of a modified peroral endoscopic myotomy (POEM) technique in patients with type II achalasia. Methods We performed a modified POEM procedure, which involved a shorter (total myotomy length = 4 cm), full-thickness myotomy, on 31 patients with type II achalasia. Clinical success rates, technical success rates, pre- and postoperative esophageal manometry results, complications, and reflux-related adverse events were evaluated. Results The clinical success (Eckardt score ≤ 3) rates were 100% and 88.9% within 2 years and beyond 2 years postoperatively, respectively. The median lower esophageal sphincter pressures (LESP) decreased from 31.6 (26.7-49.7) mmHg preoperatively to 13.4 (10.5-21.6) and 11.8 (7.4-16.7) mmHg (P < 0.001) at 6 and 12 months postoperatively, respectively. The median integrated relaxation pressure (IRP) decreased from 27.8 (20.6-37.5) mmHg preoperatively to 12.9 (11.3-23.4) and 11.6 (9.6-16.8) mmHg (P < 0.001) at 6 and 12 months after POEM, respectively. Only one case (3.2%) of mucosal injury, four (12.9%) cases of reflux esophagitis, and two (6.5%) cases of gastroesophageal reflux symptoms were reported. Conclusions The modified POEM technique showed excellent outcomes in patients with type II achalasia.

Cost-efficient snare-assisted peroral endoscopic myotomy in comparison of conventional endoscopic knife for treatment of achalasia: results of a randomized controlled trial.

To date, the ideal endoscopic knife for peroral endoscopic myotomy (POEM) with good performance and cost-effectiveness is still under investigation. The present study was aimed to evaluate the efficacy, safety, and cost-effectiveness of snare-assisted POEM, compared with the conventional endoscopic knife approach. From May 2017 to December 2018, patients with achalasia presenting for POEM without previous endoscopic or surgical therapy were prospectively recruited in this randomized controlled trial. Patients were randomly allocated to receive POEM using either the snare (snare group) or HookKnife (conventional group). The primary outcome was clinical success (Eckardt score≤3) at 12-month follow-up, powered for noninferiority with a margin of -15%. The secondary outcomes included adverse events (AEs), procedure-related parameters, clinical outcomes, and cost-effectiveness. A total of 75 patients with similar baseline characteristics between the snare (N = 37) and conventional (N = 38) groups were included. Clinical success at 12-month follow-up was achieved in 94.6% of patients in the snare group and 92.1% of patients in the conventional group (difference, 2.5% [95% CI, -8.7% to 13.7%]; P < 0.001 for noninferiority). No severe AEs occurred in both groups. The use of snare is associated with comparable procedure time (40.6minutes vs. 42.5minutes, P = 0.337), a lower frequency of hemostatic forceps use (27.0% vs. 68.4%, P <0.001), and lower hospital costs ($4271.1 vs. $5327.3, P < 0.001). The cost-effectiveness plane revealed that 96.9% of snare-assisted POEM procedures offered more cost-savings and health utility benefits. The snare-assisted POEM was noninferior to the conventional endoscopic knife approach in terms of clinical efficacy, with comparable safety outcomes and cost-effective benefits.

Endoscopic management of spontaneous esophageal and postoperative motility disorders

Considerable progress has been made in therapeutic endoscopy over recent years and new techniques now offer access to a new space, the submucosal space, thus paving the way for new therapeutic perspectives, in particular, for functional endoscopy. The first of these applications, POEM (Per-oral endoscopic myotomy), has become, since the beginning of the 2010's, an endoscopic alternative to Heller myotomy for the treatment of achalasia. The results of this technique have been fully documented, and the technique has replaced pneumatic dilatation and become the standard treatment for this indication with equivalent effectiveness compared to traditional surgery, but with less morbidity. Indeed, the overall efficacy is around 90%, results are stable over time, and severe morbidity is less than 1%. Later, other motility disorders, such as spastic disorders, have been treated, certainly with less impressive outcomes than for achalasia, but still, of interest. This approach has also been applied to post-fundoplication motility disorders, whose de novo prevalence can be as high as 20%, and for which management is complex; this represents another new non-surgical perspective. The POEM procedure for this indication, in addition to myotomy, allows performance of a partial incision of the wrap with substantial symptomatic relief. In conclusion, the technique seems to have a bright future as it is progressively applied to more and more motility disorders.

A New Preparation Method for Peroral Endoscopic Myotomy in Patients with Achalasia Can Effectively Reduce the Esophageal Residual Contents: A Comparative Retrospective Study.

Methods This retrospective study enrolled 65 achalasia patients who underwent POEM from June 2017 to October 2021. Based on the preoperative diet strategies, patients were divided into carbonated beverage group (n = 48) and control group (n = 17). Demographic and clinical data, duration of preoperative endoscopy, quality of esophagus cleansing, and patient satisfaction on preoperative procedure were collected and compared. In the current study, we established the quality of esophagus cleansing: Grade A, no remnants or only liquid or frothy discharge; Grade B, a little amount of solid content remained; and Grade C, a large amount of solid content remained. Results There were 41 Grade A, 6 Grade B, and 1 Grade C patients in the carbonated beverage group, while there were 8 Grade A, 6 Grade B, and 3 Grade C patients in the control group (p value = 0.001). The esophagus cleansing degrees were significantly ameliorated after drinking carbonated beverages in all the three subtypes of achalasia according to the degree of dilatation. The mean duration of preoperative endoscopy was 6.54 ± 2.250 minutes in the carbonated beverage group and 10.27 ± 4.788 minutes in the control group (p value = 0.010). The score of patient satisfaction concerning the procedure before the POEM in the carbonated beverage group was 4.5 ± 0.652, while the score in the control group was 4.35 ± 0.702 (p value = 0.436). In the multivariate analysis, patient satisfaction was significantly associated with male (odds ratio 0.296, 95% CI: 0.097-0.905, p value = 0.033). Conclusions Drinking carbonated beverages reduce the duration of preoperative endoscopy and ameliorate the esophagus cleansing degrees without impairing patient satisfaction.

Oxycodone is superior to morphine for pain relief following peroral oesophageal myotomy: a prospective, randomized, controlled trial.

Patients underwent peroral endoscopic myotomy (POEM) for treating achalasia suffered with mild to moderate, sometimes even severe postoperative pain. To evaluate the efficacy of oxycodone on postoperative analgesia of patients undergoing PEOM. In this prospective, double-blinded, randomized, controlled trial, patients with achalasia were recruited and received 0.08 mg/kg oxycodone or morphine 15 min before the end of the POEM procedure. The short-form McGill questionnaire (SF-MPQ) was used to measure the postoperative pain at 0, 2, 6, 24, and 48 h after surgery, which included the visual analogue scale (VAS), the present pain intensity (PPI) scale, and the pain rating index (PRI). A total of 73 patients were included, of whom 36 received oxycodone, and 37 received morphine. Compared with morphine, patients received oxycodone were associated with lower VAS in the first 24 h postoperatively (1.64 ±0.76 vs. 2.14 ±1.23, p = 0.042) as well as PPI at 2 h (1.11 ±0.40 vs. 2.22 ±0.89, p < 0.001), 6 h (1.42 ±0.55 vs. 2.08 ±0.92, p < 0.001) and 24 h (1.06 ±0.23 vs. 1.30 ±0.46, p = 0.006). Patients who received oxycodone experienced lower sensory McGill pain score than those who received morphine at 2, 6, 24, and 48 h after surgery (p < 0.05). Significantly lowered affective McGill pain score was observed in the oxycodone group at 0, 2, and 24 h postoperatively. Regarding the PRI, the sum of both sensory and affective McGill pain scores, patients with oxycodone therapy were associated with better scores postoperatively. Oxycodone appears to be superior to morphine in dealing with post-POEM pain, which has distinct visceral pain characteristics.