View clinical trials related to Achalasia.
Filter by:From clinical observation that some achalasia patients drink water to help swallow food, the investigators have proposed a systemic hot water drinking therapy. This study is to observe its efficacy on achalasia symptoms and explore its mechanism.
Achalasia is a chronic disease of altered esophageal motility with resulting functional obstruction to the passage of food leading to poor quality of life and significant morbidity. The two main treatments available in the US are endoscopic balloon dilation and surgical myotomy. Each therapy has advantages and drawbacks and at present both are considered a first choice approach depending on patient preferences and local expertise. Surgical myotomy provides long lasting improvement in dysphagia but even when done laparoscopically is invasive and complex. Extensive acid reflux resulting in significant morbidity is routinely seen after surgical myotomy and additional anti-reflux operation is typically done at the time of the myotomy. Endoscopic balloon dilation is a simple minimally invasive outpatient procedure but improvement of symptoms tends to be shorter in duration and repeat dilations are commonly needed. Both therapies improve on dysphagia but tend to provide suboptimal control of chest pain which is one of the cardinal symptoms of achalasia. The peroral endoscopic myotomy (POEM) was first introduced in Japan to address the suboptimal results with endoscopic balloon dilation and surgical myotomy. POEM is incisionless minimally invasive but in addition may have some further advantages over surgical myotomy including unlimited length of the myotomy with expected better control of chest pain and preservation of the anatomical anti-reflux barrier (angle of His and the cruse of the diaphragm) with expected lower incidence of acid reflux. In Japan POEM has become the preferred modality for therapy of achalasia due to the excellent results and exceptional safety record. In the US, dedicated POEM devices were approved by the FDA just recently. As a result the bulk of the published data comes from Japan and very little is known regarding outcomes in US population. Therefore the investigators want to prospectively record our experience with POEM as done as part of routine medical care in US population. This will be a data recording study. All patients will receive standard medical care and no experimental interventions will be performed.
This study will assess short and long term outcomes of individuals undergoing minimally invasive surgery of the gastro-esophageal junction (MISGEJ). Patients will respond to questionnaires on an annual basis evaluating quality of life and functionality following MISGEJ. Hospital charts will also be reviewed on an annual basis to assess patient health outcomes.
The aim of the study is to compare the efficacy of per-oral endoscopic myotomy (POEM) to the efficacy of pneumodilation as the initial treatment of symptomatic idiopathic achalasia. It is hypothesized that POEM has a higher long-term efficacy than pneumodilation in treatment of therapy-naive patients with idiopathic achalasia.
This study is to evaluate outcomes of a less invasive surgical procedure for the treatment of achalasia.
This study evaluates the feasibility of endoscopic myotomy for achalasia. In achalasia, there is loss of relaxation of the lower esophageal sphincter (LES), as well as a higher baseline pressure in the LES. The most widespread treatment for this disease and the one that has the best long term results involves cutting the muscle layers of the lower esophagus and on the neighbouring stomach without injurying the underlying mucosa or inner layer of the esophageal wall. This is done during a surgery through the abdomen either with a big incision or more recently with the keyhole technique. This surgery has various potential complications, one of which being making a hole through the mucosa or not extending the cut on the muscle long enough to obtain adequate relaxation of the sphincter. The per oral endoscopic myotomy (POEM) is a new intervention that is done also under general anesthesia in the operating room; however, it involves no skin incisions and all the procedure is done through a fiber optic camera. It involves making a cut in the inner layer of the esophagus and then with cautery cut the muscle fibers responsible of the blockage and finally closing the initial opening with clips. In this study we will investigate the feasibility of this intervention both from a technical aspect as well as a logistical perspective given the local operating room constraints.
Achalasia is an esophageal motility disease that usually requires surgical intervention (esophagomyotomy). Laparoscopic techniques have reduced the morbidity associated with myotomy, but post-op GERD, wound infection, hernia and incisional pain are common. A new NOTES based procedure, per-oral endoscopic esophagomyotomy (POEM), has been developed that eliminates the need for skin incisions. All patients enrolled in this study, will have a thorough pre-op workup (including upper endoscopy, upper GI radiographs, high resolution esophageal manometry) confirming the diagnosis of achalasis at the Northwestern Esophageal Center. In this procedure, performed in the operating room under general anesthesia, a flexible endoscope is passed into the esophagus, a mucosal flap and a submucosal tunnel is created. This tunnel extends onto the stomach. The inner circular muscle layer of the lower esophagus and sphincter (LES) is identified and a myotomy is started 3-4cm distal to the mucosal flap and carried all the way onto the stomach. The mucosal opening is then closed with standard endoscopic clips. Patients will be admitted to the hospital and a gastrograffin esophagram will be performed on post-op day 1 to rule out esophageal leak. All patient will have a 2-3 week post-op appointment Patients with a confirmed diagnosis of achalasia may be offered POEM. The investigators hypothesize that POEM is feasible and safe and can effectively reduce residual LES pressure (as determined by manometry) and improve patients symptoms and quality of life.
Achalasia is a rare neurodegenerative esophageal motility disorder characterized by incomplete lower esophageal sphincter (LES) relaxation, increased LES tone, and aperistalsis of the esophagus leading to dysphagia, regurgitation, and chest pain. therapies for achalasia consist of endoscopic balloon dilatation (EBD) and botulinum toxin injection (EBTI), or surgical Treatment via i Heller Myotomy; surgery is nowadays mostly performed via the laparoscopic approach. Surgical therapy demonstrated superior treatment efficacy compared to EBD and EBTI. Recently, an endoscopic means to perform myotomy via a submucosal tunnel has been developed, namely PerOral Endoscopic Myotomy (POEM). Uncontrolled studies have indicated a symptomatic success rate of >90% for POEM in short term follow-ups.The aim of this study is to compare short and long-term feasibility, safety and efficacy of endoscopic (POEM) with laparoscopic myotomy (Heller myotomy) in the treatment of achalasia.
Based on the work of the Doctors at the Mayo Clinic Rochester, a new technique for a less invasive treatment for Achalasia has been developed. The purpose of this study is to decide the role this less invasive treatment (Peroral Endoscopic Myotomy) has in the treatment of patient's with achalasia.
Achalasia is a rare esophageal motility disorder, characterized by incomplete lower esophageal sphincter relaxation, increased Lower esophageal sphincter (LES) tone, and aperistalsis of the esophagus. Typical clinical symptoms are dysphagia,regurgitation and chest pain. Traditional treatments include endoscopic balloon dilatation or botulinum toxin injection, laparoscopic Heller myotomy with or without a partial fundoplication. Peroral endoscopic myotomy (POEM) has been developed as a further endoscopic effective and minimal invasive treatment. The aim of this study is to investigate the efficacy and safety of POEM in our department, and to assess short-term and long-term efficacy of POEM by using Stooler score, Echardt score, esophageal barium and manometry.