Endoscopic stapling vs conventional methods of surgery for pharyngeal pouches: results, benefits and modifications

Endoscopic stapling of pharyngeal pouches using the Endo GIA-30 stapling gun is a relatively new technique. We compared the outcome of patients who had endoscopic stapling of their pharyngeal pouch with those who had excision of the pouch along with a cricopharyngeal myotomy using conventional methods. A total of 19 patients were included in the study, 9 in the conventional technique group and 10 in the endoscopic stapling group. Data was collected by reviewing patient records and a postal questionnaire. Median stay in hospital for the conventional technique group was 10 days while in comparison the average stay in hospital for the endoscopic stapling group was 3.9 days. The median fasting time for the conventional technique group was 6 days while all patients in the endoscopic stapling group commenced oral feeding on day one post surgery. The postal questionnaire showed that endoscopic stapling was associated with a high patient satisfaction rate. We conclude that endoscopic stapling of pharyngeal pouches has similar results to the conventional open technique, but is less invasive and associated with a shorter stay in hospital. We also discuss a technical modification employed in the stapling of small pouches with thick anterior walls.