View clinical trials related to Achalasia.
Filter by:The investigators wish to monitor the adoption of a new, incisionless approach to performing a Heller myotomy for the surgical treatment of achalasia. The method, the Peroral Endoscopic Myotomy (POEM), will provide less-invasive treatment for esophageal achalasia, ideally providing similar if not better outcomes (safety and efficacy) as the Heller myotomy. The investigators hope to enroll 10 patients with a clinical diagnosis of achalasia who meet inclusion criteria. The POEM procedure has been done in many hospitals without any research associated with it. Dr. Ginsberg, Dr. Chandrasekhara and Dr. Kochman will perform the procedures after being trained. Dr. Ginsberg has personally witnessed the performance of 10 POEM procedures and has performed in a swine model. The PI is credentialed to initiate POEM at HUP with the first case to be proctored by an experienced operator. The PI will then proctor the other adopters. The investigators would like to evaluate the safety of it and the effectiveness of it. The investigators will use their symptom scores and radiology tests pre- and post-POEM to evaluate effectiveness.
Treatment options for achalasia include endoscopic dilations and surgical myotomy. Recently the POEM (Per oral endoscopic myotoymy) technique has been described. Patients undergo myotomy under endoscopic control. It has advantage over endoscopic dilation since myotomy is performed, and has advantage over surgery because it is performed endoscopically, thus is less invasive. One potential disadvantage in respect to surgery may be that it may determine higher rates of post-operative reflux. The purpose of this study is to prospectively assess the feasibility of PEOM in our Center with the new hybrid knife, and clinical results at 1, 3 and 12 months. This is a prospective, phase II study. Ten patients (age 18-75 years old) with diagnosis of achalasia, without megaesophagus or colonic esophagus, will be included for the POEM procedure. This study will last about 2 years. The aim is the feasibility, security and success rate of POEM for achalasia. Patients will be followed for at least one year.
Prospective Multicenter registry study to assess the safety and efficacy of clinically indicated peroral endoscopic myotomy (POEM) for the treatment of Achalasia
Achalasia is a disorder benign esophageal motor, which is characterized by failure to relax the lower esophageal sphincter ( LES) in response to swallowing associated with lack of peristalsis of the esophageal body. Its most common clinical presentation is dysphagia , and occasionally chest pain , regurgitation , aspiration pneumonia and weight loss , resulting in a large impact on daily activities and quality of life of affected individuals . There is currently considered curative treatment for achalasia , dysphagia relief being the primary therapeutic target and is forced to relax the LES by endoscopy or surgery. Thus , the most commonly used endoscopic treatments are forced dilatation of the cardia and botulinum toxin. Laparoscopic Heller myotomy with antireflux procedure with therapy is considered "gold standard " because of excellent results and minimal invasiveness. Currently , pneumatic dilation and surgical treatment with the Heller myotomy with fundoplication are strongly associated with the best therapeutic options available . In recent years, the possibility of using endoluminal access in the treatment of achalasia patients through the technique originally described as Natural orifices Translumenal Endoscopic Surgery ( NOTES) and continuing advances in the submucosal dissection has enabled the concomitant development of a new approach described as perioral endoscopic myotomy . In 2007, Pasricha et al , described the feasibility of endoscopic esophageal myotomy through a submucosal tunnel initially in an animal model . The first performance of this procedure in humans was described by Inoue et al , in 2010 , introducing the concept of transluminal endoscopic surgery through natural orifices , with the objective of minimizing the trauma and all the stress resulting from open surgical procedure . These authors call the procedure as POEM ( Per Oral Endoscopic myotomy ) .
Patients with newly diagnosed achalasia have been submitted to either treatment with pneumatic dilatation or surgical myotomy. Minimal follow up five years.
This is a pilot study for a new endoscopic treatment of achalasia. Up to 25 patients will be recruited for this trial, with the intent to treat 20 patients.
In patients with achalasia, the relationship between the perception of dysphagia, oesophageal emptying, lower oesophageal sphincter (LOS) distensibility and oesophageal circular and longitudinal muscle contraction is not clear. We aim to characterize oesophageal circumferential and longitudinal muscle contractility and LOS distensibility in patients with achalasia (either before or after treatment). This may allow an understanding of the mechanisms underlying persistent dysphagia and delayed oesophageal emptying after treatment.
Achalasia is a rare motor disorder of the gastroesophageal junction which is associated with an increased pressure of the esophageal sphincter. This leads to impairment to swallow and heartburn. Esophageal myotomy, which is a surgical longitudinal incision of the esophageal muscle layer extending over to the gastroesophageal junction is the treatment of choice for achalasia. In order to prevent reflux of stomach content into the esophagus this has to be combined with an antireflux procedure where the upper part of the stomach (fundus) is wrapped around the esophagus (fundoplication). This procedure can be performed with the wrapped fundus either in front of the esophagus (Dor procedure) or behind (Toupet). The latter introduces an angulation of the esophagus, which possibly may lead to an impairment of swallowing ability and passage of food to the stomach. On the other hand, the Toupet procedure may give a better control of reflux. The primary endpoint of the study is symptoms of impaired swallowing 1 year after treatment. Secondary outcomes include reflux (pH measurements in the esophagus), radiological imaging of swallowing and quality of life.
Would systemic steroids be an effective treatment in early variants of achalasia?
Endoscopic Esophageal Myotomy (POEM), the research procedure, splits the lower esophageal sphincter muscle fibers from the inside of the esophagus, avoiding several abdominal incisions (belly area cuts), by using an endoscope to create a small cut at the most inner layer of the esophagus to expose the esophageal sphincter muscle fibers from the inside of the esophagus. The investigators are studying whether subjects who undergo Endoscopic Esophageal Myotomy will have similar functional outcome, and at the same time less pain, scar formation and wound infection than with laparoscopic or open surgery.