Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 7, 2026
Use of the Scissor-Type Knife During the Peroral Endoscopy Myotomy Procedure for the Treatment of Achalasia
Published on: March 3, 2023
Peroral endoscopic myotomy: A short-term comparison with the standard laparoscopic approach
Michael B Ujiki1, Amy K Yetasook, Matthew Zapf
1Department of Surgery, Section of Minimally Invasive Surgery, NorthShore University HealthSystem, Evanston, IL.
Background:
We report our short-term experience with peroral endoscopic myotomy (POEM) and compare perioperative outcomes with laparoscopic Heller myotomy (LHM) for achalasia.
Methods:
Patients from an institutional review board-approved protocol underwent POEM and were followed prospectively. Comparisons were made, in a prospective esophageal database, with patients who underwent LHM over the same period.
Results:
We studied 18 patients who underwent POEM and compared them to 21 who underwent LHM. Demographics, preoperative Eckardt scores, motility data, and prior intervention history were comparable. Operative time, myotomy length, and complication rates (1 perforation in each group) were equal. Postoperative pain was significantly different by visual analogue score (POEM 3.9 ± 0.6 versus LHM 5.7 ± 0.4, P = .02) and analgesic use (POEM 26.0 ± 13.7 versus LHM 90.0 ± 48.5 mg morphine, P = .02). Return to activities of daily living was significantly faster in the POEM group (2.2 ± 0.6 vs 6.4 ± 1.0 days, P = .03). Postoperative dysphagia and Eckardt scores were equally successful in both groups.
Conclusion:
POEM results in similar relief of dysphagia with less postoperative pain and quicker return to normal activities.
