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Results of Myotomy and Antireflux Operation After Failed Dilatations

Enrico Cosentini, MD; Gabriela Berlakovich, MD; Johannes Zacherl, MD; Giselheid Stacher-Janotta; René Merio, MD; Etienne Wenzl, MD; Helmar Bergmann, PhD; Georg Stacher, MD

Arch Surg. 1997;132(2):143-147.

Abstract
Objective
To evaluate the outcomes of patients with achalasia who had undergone myotomy and an antireflux operation because dilatations had not yielded satisfactory results.

Design
Retrospective analysis.

Setting
University-based tertiary care center.

Patients
Of 39 patients who met inclusion criteria, 18 female patients and 18 male patients (age range, 17-85 years; median age, 54 years; range of time elapsed since operation, 1-22 years; median time, 6 years) could be studied. Antireflux operations included 360° fundoplications in 27 patients, anterior hemifundoplications in 5, and other procedures in 4.

Main Outcome Measures
Dysphagia for solid foods and liquids, regurgitation, heartburn, retrosternal pain, and body weight.

Results
Excellent, good, and fair results of myotomy and antireflux operation were encountered in 14, 3, and 6 patients, respectively, and poor or absent results in the remaining 13 patients. The resting pressure of the lower esophageal sphincter was significantly lower at follow-up than preoperatively, and this was associated with reduced dysphagia for solid foods in 14 patients and for liquids in 16 of 17 patients.

Conclusions
Myotomy and antireflux operation yielded excellent to fair results in 23 patients in whom dilatations had not facilitated swallowing. Poor results in the remaining 13 patients seemed to be attributable to the 360° fundoplication performed in 12 of them. In these patients, a further surgical intervention seemed to be indicated.

Arch Surg. 1997;132:143-147

Author Affiliations
From the Division of General Surgery (Drs Cosentini, Berlakovich, Zacherl, and Wenzl) and the Psychophysiology Unit (Ms Stacher-Janotta and Drs Merio and Stacher), Department of Surgery, and the Departments of Biomedical Engineering & Physics and Nuclear Medicine, University of Vienna, and the Ludwig Boltzmann Institute of Nuclear Medicine (Dr Bergmann), Vienna, Austria.

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