Minimally invasive Heller myotomy with partial posterior fundoplication for the treatment of achalasia: long-term results from a tertiary referral center

Introduction Few studies have reported the long-term results of minimally invasive Heller myotomy (HM) for the treatment of achalasia. Herein, we detail our 17-year experience with HM for the treatment of achalasia from a tertiary referral center. Methods All patients undergoing elective HM at our institution from 2000 to 2017 were identified within a prospective institutional database. These patients were sent mail and electronic surveys to capture their symptoms of dysphagia, chest pain, and regurgitation pre- and postoperatively and were asked to evaluate their postoperative gastrointestinal quality of life. Responses from adult patients who underwent minimally invasive Heller myotomy with partial posterior (i.e., Toupet) fundoplication (HM-TF) were analyzed. Results 294 patients were eligible for study inclusion; 139 (47%) completed our survey. Median time from HM-TF to survey response was 5.6 years. A majority of patients reported improvement in their dysphagia (91%), chest pain (70%), and regurgitation (87%) symptoms. Patients who underwent HM-TF more than 5 years ago were most likely to report heartburn symptoms. One (1%) patient went on to require esophagectomy for ongoing dysphagia and one (1%) patient required revisional fundoplication for their heartburn symptoms. Conclusions Minimally invasive Heller myotomy and posterior partial fundoplication is a durable treatment for achalasia over the long term. Additional prospective and multi-institutional studies are needed to validate our results.

Automated summary

The study reports on the long-term results of minimally invasive Heller myotomy (HM) for achalasia, showing that it is an effective and durable treatment option. Most patients experienced improvement in symptoms postoperatively, with only a small percentage requiring additional interventions such as esophagectomy or revisional fundoplication.