[Esophageal diverticula. Clinical aspects and therapy]

Area of Science:

• Gastroenterology
• Surgical Oncology
• Thoracic Surgery

Context:

• Diverticula of the esophagus, including pharyngoesophageal, parabronchial, and epiphrenic types, present unique diagnostic and management challenges.
• Surgical intervention is often required for symptomatic esophageal diverticula causing significant patient distress.

Purpose:

• To evaluate the surgical outcomes and efficacy of diverticulectomy for various types of esophageal diverticula.
• To assess the incidence of postoperative complications and symptomatic recurrences following esophageal diverticula resection.

Summary:

• Eighteen patients underwent surgery for esophageal diverticula (11 pharyngoesophageal, 5 parabronchial, 2 epiphrenic).
• Common symptoms included dysphagia and regurgitation for pharyngoesophageal, and dysphagia, substernal pain, and hiccough for parabronchial and epiphrenic types.
• Resection with myotomy for pharyngoesophageal diverticula resulted in successful outcomes, with only two cases of severe wound healing issues and no other significant postoperative dysfunctions or recurrences.

Impact:

• Surgical resection of esophageal diverticula is an effective treatment, leading to symptom resolution and low recurrence rates.
• The study highlights the safety and efficacy of surgical management for diverse esophageal diverticula presentations.
• Findings support current surgical strategies for managing pharyngoesophageal, parabronchial, and epiphrenic diverticula.