Robotic telesurgery for achalasia

The craft of surgery has always relied on the use of instruments. Innovations in surgery have paralleled innovations in instrumentation. Advances in surgical instrumentation continue today and have enabled huge strides in surgical procedures and outcomes during this generation. Computers and related technology are now changing the interface between the surgeon and the patient, and are poised to improve patient outcomes by enhancing the surgeon’s skills and training. The application of computer enhanced telemanipulators, or “robots”, may specifically enhance operations, for example Heller myotomy, that require good visualization and precise careful dissection of delicate structures. This review covers the pathophysiology of achalasia and its history of medical and surgical treatment, leading to modern robotic telesurgical approaches. Improvements in outcome from medical to standard surgical to robotic telesurgical approaches are discussed. Current operative technique for robotic telesurgical treatment of achalasia is described and the authors conclude with a glimpse of where, in the future, current research endeavors will lead us in the treatment of achalasia.     

Robotic-assisted heller myotomy versus laparoscopic heller myotomy for the treatment of esophageal achalasia: multicenter study

Laparoscopic Heller myotomy (LHM) has become the standard treatment option for achalasia. The incidence of esophageal perforation reported is about 5%–10%. Robotically assisted Heller myotomy (RAHM) is emerging as a safe alternative to LHM. Data comparing the two approaches are scant. The aim of this study was to compare RAHM with LHM in terms of efficacy and safety for treatment of achalasia. A total of 121 patients underwent surgical treatment of achalasia at three institutions. A retrospective review of prospectively collected perioperative data was performed. Patients were divided into two groups: group A (RAHM), 59 patients, and group B (LHM), 62 patients. All the operations were completed using minimally invasive techniques. There were 63 women and 58 men, with a mean age of 45 ±19 years (14–82 years). Fifty-one percent of patients in group A and 95% of patients in group B reported weight loss. Duration of symptoms was equal for both groups. Dysphagia was the main complaint in both groups (P = NS). There was no difference in preoperative endoscopic treatment in both groups (44% versus 27%, P = NS). Operative time was significantly shorter for LHM in the first half of the experience (141 ± 49 versus 122 ± 44 minutes, P < .05). However, in the last 30 cases there was no difference in operative time between the groups (P = NS). Intraoperative complications (esophageal perforation) were more frequent in group B (16% versus 0%). The incidence of postoperative heartburn did not differ by group. There were no deaths. At 18 and 22 months, 92% and 90% of patients had relief of their dysphagia. This study suggests that RAHM is safer than LHM, because it decreases the incidence of esophageal perforation to 0%, even in patients who had previous treatment. At short-term follow-up, relief of dysphagia was equally achieved in both groups. Presented at the Forty-Sixth Annual Meeting of The Society for Surgery of the Alimentary Tract, Chicago, Illinois, May 14–18, 2005 (oral presentation). This study was supported in part by a grant provided by Intuitive Surgical, Inc. and Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Inc.     

Difficult myotomy is not determined by preoperative therapy and does not impact outcome.

OBJECTIVES: The impact of preoperative endoscopic therapy on the difficulty of laparoscopic Heller myotomy and the impact of the difficulty of the myotomy on long-term outcome has not been determined. This study was undertaken to determine whether preoperative therapy impacts the difficulty of laparoscopic Heller myotomy and whether preoperative therapy or difficulty of myotomy impacts long-term outcomes. METHODS: Since 1992, 305 patients, 56% male, median age 49 years, underwent laparoscopic Heller myotomy and were prospectively followed. The difficulty of the laparoscopic Heller myotomy was scored by the operating surgeon for the most recent 170 consecutive patients on a scale of 1 (easiest) to 5 (most difficult). Patients scored their symptoms before and after myotomy using a Likert scale from 0 (never/not bothersome) to 10 (always/very bothersome). RESULTS: Before myotomy, 66% of patients underwent endoscopic therapy: 33% dilation, 11% Botox, and 22% both. Preoperative endoscopic therapy did not correlate with the difficulty of the myotomy (P=NS). Median follow-up was 25 months. Regardless of the difficulty of the myotomy, dysphagia improved with myotomy (P<0.0001). By regression analysis, the frequency and severity of post-myotomy dysphagia correlated with neither preoperative endoscopic therapy nor the difficulty of the myotomy. CONCLUSIONS: Laparoscopic Heller myotomy improves the frequency and severity of dysphagia. The difficulty of laparoscopic Heller myotomy is not impacted by preoperative therapy, and neither preoperative therapy nor difficulty of the myotomy impact long-term outcome.     

Pseudoachalasia: not only esophago-gastric cancer

Pseudoachalasia is a rare clinical entity which has clinical, radiographic and manometric features often indistinguishable from achalasia. A small primary adenocarcinoma arising at the gastroesophageal junction or a tumor of the distal esophagus are the most frequent causes. Rarely, processes other than esophagogastric cancers may lead to the development of pseudoachalasia. We present three cases of pseudoachalasia in which the primary cause of the disease was not an esophagogastric cancer. The causes were a pancreatic carcinoma, a breast cancer and an histiocytosis X. Aspects of these three patients' diagnostic and therapeutic course are discussed in detail.     

One-year follow-up after laparoscopic Heller-Dor operation for esophageal achalasia

Background: The Heller-Dor operation has recently been proposed for the treatment of esophageal achalasia even via a laparoscopic approach. Methods: To measure the medium-term effectiveness of this new minimally invasive technique, an evaluation of pre- and postoperative symptoms, esophagogram, endoscopic findings, esophageal manometry, and pH monitoring was prospectively designed in 43 patients with primary esophageal achalasia. The mean clinical follow-up for all the patients is 12 months (range 3–43), while the mean radiological follow-up is 11 months (range 1–23). Endoscopic data 1 year after surgery are currently available for 27 patients (63%), whereas a 12-month (range 1–26) functional follow-up (including manometric and pH-monitoring studies of the esophagus) is currently available for 35 patients (81.4%). Results: No dysphagia was reported in 38 cases (88.4%); two (4.6%) complained of occasional swallowing discomfort which regressed spontaneously; two (4.6%) had persistent dysphagia which regressed with pneumatic dilatation. One patient (2.8%) reported mild occasional dysphagia after a 1-year asymptomatic period. Preoperatively, esophagograms showed an average maximum diameter of 40.6 ± 9.1 mm which decreased to 24.1 ± 6.0 mm after operation. Mean lower esophageal sphincter (LES) resting and residual pressures decreased significantly from 28.6 ± 10.7 mmHg to 8.8 ± 4.1 mmHg and from 17.0 ± 9.7 mmHg to 4.7 ± 4.0 mmHg, respectively (p < 0.0001). These effects on esophageal diameter and LES function seem to persist over time. The complete absence of any peristaltic contractions recorded preoperatively in all cases remained unchanged after surgery in all but four patients. However, this rare recovery of peristalsis proved to be transient, and patients revealed a manometric impairment of their esophageal body function, but without complaining of dysphagia. Twenty-four-hour pH monitoring showed abnormal gastroesophageal reflux episodes in two (5.7%) of the 35 patients who were monitored: one was asymptomatic; the other had heartburn and endoscopically demonstrated grade II esophagitis. Conclusions: Laparoscopic Heller-Dor operation achieves excellent medium-term results which, together with the already-demonstrated advantages of a minimal surgical trauma and rapid convalescence, validate the use of such a minimally invasive approach to treat patients with primary achalasia of the esophagus. Received: 19 March 1996/Accepted: 15 May 1996     

经食管后壁内镜肌切开术治疗贲门失弛缓症的初步评价

目的 探讨经食管后壁内镜肌切开术(POEM)治疗贲门失弛缓症的有效性及安全性.方法 选择诊断明确的贲门失弛缓症患者,经食管后壁行POEM,观察手术前后患者的吞咽困难的积分、食管下括约肌静息压变化、手术并发症等.结果 28例贲门失弛缓症患者入选研究,其中26例患者顺利施行经食管后壁的POEM,平均手术时间68.8 min,无一例患者发生严重危及生命的手术并发症.26例患者术后食管下括约肌静息压力较术前平均降低16.37 mm Hg(1 mmHg =0.133 kPa),术后1个月Eckardt评分均分较术前降低6.69分,仅1例患者仍有吞咽困难,Eckardt评分为4分,总有效率96.1％ (25/26).1例患者术后出现反流症状.2例患者因贲门部严重疤痕形成而未能完成POEM手术.结论 经食管后壁POEM能即时有效地改善贲门失弛缓症患者吞咽困难的临床症状,有效降低食管下括约肌静息压力,短期疗效满意,其并发症尤其是气胸发生率较低,安全性较高.     

经口内镜下肌切开术对贲门失弛缓症患者食管动力的影响

目的探讨经口内镜下肌切开术(peroral endoscopic myotomy,POEM)初次治疗对贲门失弛缓症(achalasia,AC)患者术后食管动力的影响。方法纳入2012年1月至2016年6月期间于首都医科大学附属北京友谊医院就诊并行POEM治疗的AC患者,按研究设计完成各项检查、POEM治疗及随访观察,比较各型AC患者的POEM治疗成功率以及POEM治疗前后食管动力的改变。结果POEM术后6个月随访时,Ⅰ型AC患者的症状缓解率为100.0%(13/13),Ⅱ型为95.5%(42/44),Ⅲ型为90.1%(10/11)。与术前比较,术后1~6个月内下食管括约肌静息压[10.5(6.9,15.8)mmHg比24.6(18.3,35.1)mmHg,1 mmHg=0.133 kPa]、4 s整合松弛压[6.0(3.7,8.8)mmHg比21.8(15.3,28.0)mmHg]、上食管括约肌静息压[43.4(33.7,57.3)mmHg比45.3(33.2,71.1)mmHg]、上食管括约肌残余压[1.5(0.0,4.6)mmHg比3.9(1.1,6.9)mmHg]均明显改善(P均<0.05)。术后6个月,食管腔扩张的最宽直径较术前明显减小[(3.0±0.7)cm比(3.9±1.1)cm,P<0.001],总Eckardt评分较术前明显降低[1(0,2)分比6(5,8)分,P<0.001]。POEM术后,Ⅰ型AC患者食管体部均未出现蠕动恢复,Ⅱ型AC患者中有4例(9.1%,4/44)较术前恢复弱蠕动或期前收缩,Ⅲ型AC患者中10例(90.9%,10/11)较术前出现正常蠕动波、期前收缩或弱蠕动的比例增加。结论POEM术后不仅食管胃交界部流出道梗阻得到改善,而且食管体部动力也一定程度上发生改变,其中部分患者体部动力有一定恢复;但是这种变化在3个AC亚型表现不同,Ⅲ型最明显,其次是Ⅱ型,Ⅰ型则无明显改变。     

经口内镜下肌切开术联合部分食管下段肌层“V”型切除术治疗贲门失弛缓症的方法学、短期疗效及组织标本评估（含视频）

目的 评估经口内镜下肌切开术（peroral endoscopic myotomy,POEM）联合部分食管下段肌层“V”型切除术治疗贲门失弛缓症（achalasia,AC）的短期疗效、安全性及建立食管下括约肌全肌层标本取材的方法。 方法 纳入2018年2月—2019年2月在天津医科大学总医院接受内镜治疗的AC患者,利用随机数字表将其按1∶3的比例随机分为POEM联合部分食管下段肌层“V”型切除术组和POEM组。评估2组患者手术时长、术中出血量和并发症发生情况;比较2组患者治疗后1个月和3个月Eckardt评分、反流症状评分、高分辨率食管测压和食管排空参数;比较2组术中获取组织标本的大小、质量和显微结构。 结果 本研究最终纳入57例患者,其中POEM联合部分食管下段肌层“V”型切除术组16例、POEM组41例。2组患者均成功完成手术,手术时长[（87.81±13.03）min比（82.20±18.10）min,t=1.302,P=0.201]和术中出血量[（6.75±1.44）mL比7.00(2.00)mL,U=-0.903,P=0.348]比较差异无统计学意义;术中和术后均未发生严重并发症。术后1个月和3个月时分别进行随访,2组患者Eckardt评分[0.00（1.00）分比0.00（1.00）分,U=-0.156,P=0.876;0.00（1.00）分比0.00（1.00）分,U=-0.337,P=0.736]、反流症状评分[0.00（0.00）分比0.00（0.00）分,U=-0.207,P=0.836;0.00（0.00）分比0.00（0.00）分,U=-0.207,P=0.836]、食管下括约肌压力[（16.00±7.00）mmHg比（13.76±6.21）mmHg,t=1.183,P=0.242;（15.06±4.14）mmHg比11.00(7.00) mmHg,U=-1.852,P=0.064](1 mmHg=0.133 kPa)、4 s完整松弛压[（6.57±2.69）mmHg比（6.82±2.22）mmHg,t=-0.364,P=0.717;（5.96±1.84）mmHg比（6.46±1.43）mmHg,t=-1.095,P=0.278]及食管排空检查5 min钡剂高度[（2.16±0.91） cm比（2.13±0.87） cm,t=0.127,P=0.899;（2.22±0.51） cm比（2.10±0.87） cm,t=0.657,P=0.514]等指标相比差异均无统计学意义,2组患者上述各指标均较术前明显降低（P均<0.05）,且同组术后两次随访结果相比,上述各指标差异未见统计学意义（P均>0.05）。术后短期随访期间2组分别有1例和2例患者诉偶尔出现反流症状,无需药物干预。POEM联合部分食管下段肌层“V”型切除术组患者术中获取的标本体积大于POEM组术中活检获取的标本[(1.32±0.55) cm×(0.58±0.17) cm×(0.18±0.02) cm比(0.28±0.05) cm×(0.13±0.03) cm×(0.10±0.03) cm,t=5.244,P<0.001],标本质量也较POEM组更重[（0.22±0.09）g比（0.03±0.01）g,t=7.192,P<0.001],且前者可于显微镜下完整观察到环行肌、肌间神经丛和纵行肌结构,而后者仅可观察到环形肌。 结论 POEM联合部分食管下段肌层“V”型切除术治疗AC的安全性及短期疗效与POEM术式相当,并为AC病理学研究提供了良好的组织标本。     

Prospective evaluation of the efficacy of peroral endoscopic myotomy in patients with achalasia

Peroral endoscopic myotomy (POEM) is an endoscopic alternative to surgical myotomy in patients with achalasia. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and clinical outcomes of POEM.A total of 20 patients with achalasia who underwent POEM between October 2016 and November 2017 were prospectively recruited. The intraoperative esophagogastric junction distensibility index (mm²/mm Hg) was measured pre- and post-myotomy using an endoluminal functional lumen imaging probe. Clinical response was defined as Eckardt score ≤3. Health-related quality of life was measured by the 36-item short-form health survey score.POEM was successfully completed in all cases. The median procedure time was 68.5 minutes (range 50.0–120.0), and the median myotomy length was 13 cm (range 11–18). Major adverse events were encountered in 2 cases. Overall, clinical responses were observed in all patients during a median follow-up of 11.9 months (range 1.2–26.2). Postoperative esophagogastric junction distensibility index was significantly higher than baseline (from 1.3 [range 0.8–6.9] to 6.3 [range 25–19.2], P < .001). The median Eckardt scores were decreased after POEM (5 [range 2–11] to 1 [range 0–3], P < .001), and the 36-item short-form health survey score was also improved significantly after POEM (67.5 [range 34.5–93.9] to 85.7 [range 53.4–93.3], P = .004).POEM is an effective treatment for achalasia, based on the improvement of both symptoms and objective measures.Clinicaltrial.gov {"type":"clinical-trial","attrs":{"text":"NCT 02989883","term_id":"NCT02989883"}}NCT 02989883