[Suspension diverticulopexy for Zenker's diverticulum]

Zenker's diverticulum is an unusual condition. Its treatment requires surgery but there is no consensus regarding the various operative techniques. Through an open cervical approach, the diverticulum can be either resected or suspended with or without a concurrent myotomy of the cricopharyngeus muscle. An innovative option is endoscopic trans-oral stapled esophago-diverticulostomy.

and method: We retrospectively reviewed a consecutive series of 36 patients operated on between 1988 and 2006. Median age was 77.5 years and M/F sex ratio was 1.4. Through an open neck approach, diverticulectomy without cricopharyngeal myotomy was performed in 7 patients, diverticulectomy with myotomy in 11, and diverticulopexy with myotomy in 18.

Morbidity rate was 13.8%. One fistula and one recurrence occurred in both diverticulectomy groups with and without myotomy. There was no morbidity after suspension diverticulopexy which also allowed earlier oral feeding (1 vs. 6 days) and shortened hospitalization (6 vs. 13.5 days).

Diverticulopexy with cricopharyngeus myotomy is an effective, reliable, and reproducible technique for the correction of Zenker's diverticula smaller than 5 cm. Diverticulectomy should be reserved for larger diverticula. Technical improvements of transoral stapled diverticulostomy are still required before it can be promoted as an alternative therapy.