47. PERORAL ENDOSCOPIC MYOTOMY VS HELLER MYOTOMY WITH FUNDOPLICATION IN OUR CENTER

Abstract

Heller myotomy with fundoplication (HF) is one of the established treatments for esophageal achalasia. However, the less invasive Peroral endoscopic myotomy (POEM) is rapidly spreading. Several papers report short-term efficacy and safety of POEM is as well as HF, but GERD is more frequent after POEM. Moreover, the long-term outcome is still unknown.

This is a single center retrospective study. In our center, HF was carried out for 59 patients between 1999 and 2014. Among them, 58 cases underwent laparoscopic procedure, 52 were with Dor fundoplication and 7 were with Toupet. From 2015 we performed POEM for 224 patients until Dec 2022.

For POEM, grade of dilatation was lower (I/II/III=POEM;76/131/17, HF;6/44/9, p < 0.001) and esophageal myotomy length was longer (8.5 ± 3.4 cm vs 5.7 ± 0.8 cm, P < 0.001). Median IRP and Eckardt score decreased for them (24.3 ± 13.0 to 7.8 ± 4.8 mmHg/5.37 ± 2.09 to 0.54 ± 0.84). HF improved their LES pressure (40.2 ± 20.3 to 18.0 ± 7.1 mmHg, p < 0.001). Postoperative LA grade B GERD was more often for POEM (26.9% vs 4.7%, p < 0.001), however grade C or D were comparable. All of them were controlled by PPIs, except one POEM patient considering further treatment. For HF, median follow-up period was longer (78 vs 19 mo), however, additional treatment was more necessary (6.8% vs 1.3%, p = 0.033).

Postoperative grade B GERD was more common for POEM, but almost all of them were controlled by PPIs. POEM was less likely to require additional treatment, though follow-up time was relatively short. Further observation and re-evaluation are warranted.