Literature supporting the adoption of POEM in place of the standard Heller myotomy in the presence of significant chest pain associated with typical symptoms like in case of Achalasia Type III according to the Chicago classification, generally reports on outcome data collected after short follow up periods. We aimed to assess behaviors of chest pain in the long term in a case series of patients submitted to the Heller-Dor operation. Between 1978 and 2021,394 achalasia patients underwent the Heller-Dor operation. Chest pain was evaluated according to its frequency (0: absent; 1: occasional; 2: weekly; 3: daily): 81 preoperatively complained of chest pain (score 2-3) (CP group), 313 did not (score 0-1) (NCP group). Patients were followed up according to a timed protocol based on clinical assessment of dysphagia (D0 absent – D3 each meal), GERD symptoms (RS0 absent-RS3 each meal). Barium swallow and endoscopy (E0: normal, E1: mild esophagitis, E2-3: erosive/ulcerative esophagitis) were performed at each planned control. CP and NCP were compared. CP group had shorter duration of dysphagia (p=0.03), smaller esophageal diameter and lower barium column (p<0.05). At a median follow-up of 10 years for CP and 11 years for NCP (p=0.166), the frequency of dysphagia (p=0.05), GERD symptoms (p=0.3) and esophagitis (p=0.27) was similar in the two groups. Chest pain progressively attenuated in intensity and frequency.; median chest pain score preoperatively was 3, at follow-up it was 0 (p<0.01). Clinical results obtained in CP patients (satisfactory D0–2, RS0–2, and E1 in 95%) were not inferior to those obtained in NCP patients (satisfactory in 93%) (p=0.05). According to our single center case series, in the long term chest pain does not influence negatively HD outcome which is absolutely competitive with that generally reported for POEM and pneumatic dilation. Results presented in this study must be verified: as new randomized prospective studies would require a too long lag time, valid retrospective multi center studies should be performed.
In 1979 our surgical group proposed the Heller-Dor operation (HD) to accomplish new concepts of surgical pathophysiology: to abolish the lower esophageal sphincter with the division of the U-and sling fibers of the lesser gastric curvature, to prevent GER with an effective but not too effective partial fundoplication which protects the myotomy surface. Aim is to report very long-term results of the treatment of esophageal achalasia with the Heller-Dor operation performed with intra operative manometry. In the period 1979-2021 HD was in first instance adopted in 202 patients (97 men; median age 45 years; IQR 31–59) in laparotomy (L-HD) and in 162 (79 men; age 48 years; IQR 35–63) in laparoscopy (V-HD). At intraoperative manometry, the complete abolition of the high-pressure zone was always obtained and the Dor length and pressure were trimmed according to reference values. Follow-up consisted of interview, endoscopy and barium swallow performed every 3 years. The overall outcome was graded from excellent to poor according to the severity of symptoms and esophagitis. Median follow-up was 14.8 years in HD, 7.5 years in V-HD (p<0.001). Esophageal diameter and residual barium column decreased substantially during the first 3 years after the operation, but not successively. In the L-HD group poor results were 22 (10.9%): due to esophagitis in 17 (8.4%) and to recurrent dysphagia in 5 (2.5%). In V-HD, 4 (2.5%) had esophagitis and 2 (1.2%) severe dysphagia. Outcome was satisfactory in 89% of L-HD and in 96% of V-HD (p<0.001). Postoperatively, according to the Kaplan Mayer curve, dysphagia, reflux symptoms and esophagitis occurred within 60-65 months after surgery. Timing of dysphagia relapse and post-myotomy reflux occurrence indicate that after five years, surgical results can be considered definitive. The 96% of satisfactory results we achieved with VL-HD, at a median follow-up time of 8 years, shows the potentiality of this surgical technique. In our experience, the learning process, not the follow-up length or the laparotomy/laparoscopy method is the cause of improved results of the laparoscopy HD.
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