Endoscopic approach to achalasia

Table 1 Efficacy of botulinum toxin injection in the treatment of achalasia

Ref.	n	BT-dose U	Initial symptomatic response	Injection rate	Long-term symptomatic response	Follow up (mo)
Wehrmann et al[19]	20	100	80%	2.5	70%	24
Annese et al[20]	36	100	90%	0	78%	6
Pasricha et al[28]	31	80	90%	1.6	68%	12
Fishman et al[31]	60	80	70%	1.3	36%	12
Annese et al[32]	38	100	82%	1	68%	24
Gordon et al[100]	16	80	75%	1.25	58%	7
Cuillière et al[101]	55	80	85%	1.2	60%	6
Vaezi et al[102]	22	100	64%	1.1	32%	12

BT: Botulinum toxin.

Table 2 Initial effiacy of pneumatic dilation in the treatment of achalasia

Ref.	Dilator-system	n	Symptomatic response	Perforation rate
Chuah et al[52]	Rigiflex	32	91%	3%
Eckardt et al[61]	Brown-McHardy	54	78%	2%
Wehrmann et al[62]	Rigiflex	40	88%	3%
Csendes et al[73]	Mosher	39	65%	5%
Stark et al[103]	Brown-McHardy	10	100%	0%
Parkman et al[104]	Brown-McHardy	123	88%	2%
Coccia et al[105]	Rider-Moeller	16	75%	0%
Bourgeois et al[106]	Rider-Moeller	53	80%	4%
Gelfand et al[107]	Rigiflex	24	83%	0%
Vaezi et al[108]	Rigiflex	20	75%	5%
Rai et al[109]	Rigiflex	56	89%	0%

Table 3 Results of peroral endoscopic myotomy for the treatment of patients

Ref.	n	Mean age (yr)	Myotomy length (cm)	Follow-up (mo)	Symptomatic response (Eckardt score before/after POEM)	LES-tone (before/after POEM, mmHg)
Inoue et al[5]	17	41	8	5	10/1.3	52/20
von Renteln et al[80]	16	45	12	3	8.8/1.1	27/12
Swanström et al[110]	5	64	7	1	Not quantified	Not measured
Costamagna et al[111]	11	32	10	1	7.1/1.1	45/17
Chiu et al[112]	16	48	11	6	5.5/0	44/30

Only full text publications are considered. LES: Lower esophageal sphincter; POEM: Peroral endoscopic myotomy.