Esophageal Per Oral Endoscopic Miotomy (POEM) for Achalasia: First Case Reported in Eastern Europe

Abstract

Traditional endoscopic treatment of achalasia consists of endoscopic balloon dilatation with the inconvenience of the recurrence of symptoms and the necessity of repeated sessions. Surgical laparoscopic procedure has been advocated to be more efficient especially in young patients because it sections the lower oesophageal sphincter via a transabdominal approach. The long term most severe complication has been refractory reflux oesophagitis due mainly to the alteration of the oesogastric antireflux anatomy (Hiss angle). Surgical myotomy was clasically associated with an antireflux procedure. Peroral endoscopic myotomy (POEM) via a mucosal orifice is as efficient as surgical miotomy but the antireflux anatomy of gastroesophageal junction is not altered, so the reflux symptoms are reduced. Second, POEM is mini invasive in comparison with laparoscopic surgery.
The paper presents our first and successful case of this endoscopic surgical procedure in a 41 year old patient.