Mary from Humble, TX sent us this question: “I have a Hiatal Hernia with Achalasia. Can surgery on these be done at the same time? What type of surgeon does these? A GI doctor, Thoracic Surgeon, or regular Surgeon? I live around Cypress, Humble area.” Thanks, Mary Dear...
Miguel from South Houston asked us this question: “Can or is Hypercontractile esophagus a cause for Dyspnea/shortness of breath? I have Jackhammer esophagus. I had fundoplication surgery 2 months ago and started eating solid food 2 weeks ago. I have a degree of dysphagia post-op...
“Laparoscopic Heller Myotomy Versus Peroral Endoscopic Myotomy (POEM) for Achalasia: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis” is a new article published by Patti el al in the Annals of Surgery. The authors conducted a Medline literature search for achalasia treatment. 53 Heller myotomy studies included 5834...
Sherry sent us this question last week: “I have achalasia and has suffered with it for over 19 years. four years ago I had a Heller myotomy which was unsuccessful. I still cannot swallow and I have the worst heartburn. Like your patient above I...
Achalasia is a rare esophageal dysmotility disorder of unknown etiology. It is characterized by loss of esophageal peristalsis and failure of the lower esophageal sphincter to relax. Patients develop dysphagia to solids and liquids. They also develop food regurgitation and heartburn. Heartburn is secondary to...
How does per-oral endoscopic myotomy (POEM) work for Achalasia Treatment? Achalasia is a rare condition where the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) fails to relax during food swallowing. As a result, food and liquids get stuck in the esophagus and patients report difficulty swallowing and food regurgitation....