Giant mid-esophageal diverticula successfully treated by per-oral endoscopic myotomy

Emerging indications for third space endoscopy

This chapter will explore the recent advancements and innovations in the field of third space endoscopy. The traditional principles of per-oral endoscopic myotomy and endoscopic submucosal dissection have been applied to offer solutions to traditionally difficult to manage problems including esophageal diverticula, post-fundoplication dysphagia, post-sleeve gastrectomy stricture, bariatric procedure and Hirschsprung disease. Typically, these problems were managed surgically with potentially high rates of morbidity and mortality; however, the principles of third space endoscopy offer a safer and less invasive option for management. All of these applications of third space endoscopy are less than a decade old with some emerging in the last 1-2 years. In this chapter, we will explore the pathophysiology of these diseases and how third space endoscopy can offer a solution. We will also review the relevant literature along with the safety and effectiveness of the proposed innovations.

A Multidisciplinary Minimally Invasive Approach Is Necessary for the Contemporary Management of Esophageal Diverticula

Background: Esophageal diverticula were traditionally treated with open surgery, which is associated with significant morbidity and mortality rates. Management has shifted to minimally invasive approaches with several advantages. We examine outcomes in patients with esophageal diverticula treated with minimally invasive techniques by a multidisciplinary surgical team at a single center. Materials and Methods: A retrospective review of a prospectively maintained database was performed for patients who underwent minimally invasive surgery for esophageal diverticula at our institution from June 2010 to December 2022. Primary outcomes were 30-day morbidity and mortality rates. Secondary outcomes were symptom resolution, length of stay (LOS), readmission, and need for reintervention. Results: A total of 28 patients were identified. Twelve patients had pharyngeal diverticula, 7 patients had midesophageal diverticula, and 9 patients had epiphrenic diverticula. Thirty-day morbidity and readmission rates were 10.7% (3 patients), 1 pharyngeal (sepsis), 1 midesophageal (refractory nausea), and 1 epiphrenic (poor oral intake). There were no esophageal leaks. Average LOS was 2.3 days, with the pharyngeal group experiencing a significantly shorter LOS (1.3 days versus 3.4 days for midesophageal, P < .01 versus 2.8 days for epiphrenic, P < .05). Symptom resolution after initial operation was 78.6%. Reintervention rate was 17.9%, and symptom resolution after reintervention was 100%. There were no mortalities. Conclusion: This study demonstrates that esophageal diverticula can be repaired safely and efficiently when performed by a multidisciplinary team utilizing advanced minimally invasive endoscopic and robotic surgical techniques. We advocate for the management of this rare condition at a high-volume center with extensive experience in foregut surgery.

Efficacy and safety of peroral endoscopic myotomy for esophageal diverticula

Background and study aims  Epiphrenic diverticula are rare and mainly occur in patients with underlying esophageal motility disorders. The current standard treatment is surgical diverticulectomy often combined by myotomy and is associated with significant adverse event (AE) rates. The aim of this study was to examine the efficacy and safety of peroral endoscopic myotomy in reducing esophageal symptoms in patients with esophageal diverticula. Patients and methods  We performed a retrospective cohort study including patients with an esophageal diverticulum who underwent POEM between October 2014 and December 2022. After informed consent, data were extracted from medical records and patients completed a survey by telephone. The primary outcome was treatment success, defined as Eckardt score below 4 with a minimal reduction of 2 points. Results  Seventeen patients (mean age 71 years, 41.2 % female) were included. Achalasia was confirmed in 13 patients (13 /17, 76.5 %), Jackhammer esophagus in two patients (2 /17, 11.8 %), diffuse esophageal spasm in one patient (1 /17, 5.9 %) and in one patient no esophageal motility disorder was found (1 /17, 5.9 %). Treatment success was 68.8 % and only one patient (6.3 %) underwent retreatment (pneumatic dilatation). Median Eckardt scores decreased from 7 to 1 after POEM (p < 0.001). Mean size of the diverticula decreased from 3.6 cm to 2.9 cm after POEM (p < 0.001). Clinical admission was one night for all patients. AEs occurred in two patients (11.8 %) which were classified as grade II and IIIa (AGREE classification). Conclusions  POEM is effective and safe to treat patients with esophageal diverticula and an underlying esophageal motility disorder.

Submucosal tunneling endoscopic septum division for esophageal diverticulum with a median follow-up of 39 months: a multicenter cohort study

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Submucosal tunneling endoscopic septum division (STESD) is an endoscopic minimally invasive technique for treating esophageal diverticulum. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the safety and efficacy of STESD and its impact on patients' quality of life.

METHODS

This study included consecutive patients who underwent STESD for esophageal diverticulum from April 2016 to August 2020 in 2 centers (Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University and Tianjin First Central Hospital). Esophagogram and endoscopic examination were performed before STESD and 30 days after STESD. Patients completed the 36-item Short Form survey (SF-36) before STESD and 1 year after surgery. Clinical symptoms were assessed via telehealth every 6 months until August 2021. Costamagna and Eckardt scores were used to evaluate changes in symptoms.

RESULTS

Twenty-one patients were included. Mucosal injury 1 to 2 cm below the septum occurred in 2 patients. No severe surgical adverse events were observed. Median duration of follow-up was 39 months (range, 12-63). Total SF-36 scores increased from 118.7 ± 18.6 before STESD to 132.4 ± 9.1 at 1 year after the procedure (P = .007). SF-36 subscales of general health (P = .002), vitality (P = .004), social functioning (P = .030), and mental health (P = .020) improved significantly after STESD. The mean Costamagna score decreased from 3.83 ± 1.33 to 1.67 ± 1.51 (P = .010), whereas the mean Eckardt score decreased from 3.50 ± .90 to 1.25 ± 1.76 (P = .002). One patient developed symptom recurrence at 10 months after STESD.

CONCLUSIONS

STESD is a safe and valid endoscopic minimally invasive surgery for esophageal diverticulum, which can reduce symptoms and improve quality of life.

Peroral endoscopic myotomy treatment for symptomatic esophageal diverticulum: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Peroral endoscopic myotomy (POEM) is a rapidly evolving technique for the treatment of esophageal diverticulum. The aim of this study was to perform a systematic review and meta-analysis of the literature focusing on POEM for symptomatic esophageal diverticula, including an in-depth evaluation of its efficacy, safety, and limitations. A comprehensive literature search was completed to identify articles that examined the efficacy and safety of POEM for esophageal diverticula. Heterogeneity among studies was assessed using the I2 statistic. Meta-regression and sensitivity analyses were performed to explore the sources of heterogeneity and assess potentially important covariates influencing the main outcomes. Primary endpoints such as rates of success, adverse events, and recurrences were evaluated. P values of ≤0.05 were considered statistically significant. Nine studies with a total of 153 patients were enrolled. Pooled technical success, clinical success, adverse events, and recurrence rates were 99% [95% confidence interval (CI), 97-100%; I2 = 0%), 94% (95% CI, 89-97%; I2 = 24%), 2% (95% CI, 0-6%, I2 = 0%), and 0% (95% CI, 0-1%; I2 = 0%), respectively. The pooled perforation rate was 6% (95% CI, 1-11%; I2 = 0%). Meta-regression analysis indicated that esophageal diverticula types and motility disorders were not associated with the clinical success rate (P > 0.05). POEM is a feasible, safe, and effective treatment for symptomatic esophageal diverticula, with low adverse events and recurrence rates.

Peroral endoscopic myotomy for the treatment of esophageal diverticulum: an experience in China

BACKGROUND

With the development of minimally invasive endoscopic approaches for the esophagus in recent years, peroral endoscopic myotomy (POEM) in the treatment of esophageal diverticulum has been described recently in some reports due to its successful outcomes. The aim of this study is to report our experience with the use of diverticular POEM (D-POEM) technique in the management of esophageal diverticulum.

METHODS

This retrospective study included consecutive patients with symptomatic esophageal diverticulum who visited our endoscopy center between April 2014 and January 2019. D-POEM was performed based on the principles of submucosal endoscopy. A new symptomatic scoring system was introduced to evaluate the severity of diverticular symptoms.

RESULTS

A total of 10 patients with esophageal diverticulum (Zenker's 2, mid-esophagus 5, and epiphrenic 3) were included. The overall technical success rate of D-POEM was 100%, with a mean procedure time of 38.9 ± 20.5 (range 16-70) min. No serious complications occurred. Clinical improvement was achieved in 90% (9/10) of patients. The symptomatic score was significantly decreased from 2.5 (IQR 2.00-3.25) to 1.0 (IQR 0-1.25) (P = 0.007) during a median follow-up period of 11.0 (IQR 10.25-17.25) months.

CONCLUSION

These findings suggested complete septotomy by D-POEM. Our preliminary data and experience put forwarded D-POEM as a safe and effective technique for esophageal diverticulum.

Z-POEM as a Treatment Option for Zenker’s Diverticulum: Our Experience at a Tertiary Care Centre in India

Background This study was aimed to evaluate efficacy and safety of Z–peroral endoscopic myotomy (Z-POEM; submucosal tunneling endoscopic myotomy) for Zenker’s diverticulum (ZD).

Methods This is a retrospective study at a single tertiary care center in India. The Z-POEM technique was performed using principles of submucosal tunneling endoscopy with prior experience from POEM technique for achalasia cardia

Results Sixteen patients (male, 62.5%; mean age, 73.2 ± 5.2 years) were included with a mean Charleson’s comorbidity index of 4.32. The mean size of ZD was 34.8 ± 10.0 mm. The technical success rate was 100%. Clinical success was achieved in 100% (16/16) with a decrease in mean dysphagia score from 2.9 to 0.2 (p <0.0001). The mean procedure time was 47 ± 7.9 minutes and mean length of septotomy was 31.9 ± 9.4 mm. The mean length of hospital stay was 1.2 ± 0.4 days. No major adverse events were noted. Capnomediastinum was noted in two cases on follow-up Gastrografin study after 24 hours (12.5%). This did not merit any treatment. One patient had intraprocedural bleed which was controlled easily. At the 18-month follow-up, two (12.5%) patients reported dysphagia recurrence (Dakkak and Bennett score 1) but did not require repeat intervention.

Conclusion Endoscopic management of ZD using the POEM technique is a promising technique with improved efficacy and safety. However, long-term follow-up is needed to ensure the durability of response.

Peroral endoscopic myotomy for management of gastrointestinal motility disorder

Achalasia is a type of esophageal motility disorder, consisting of relaxation dysfunction of the lower esophagus and disturbed esophageal peristalsis. Related clinical symptoms include dysphagia, regurgitation, chest pain, and weight loss. Traditional treatment options include endoscopic botulinum toxin injection, endoscopic pneumatic dilation, and laparoscopic Heller’s myotomy. These therapies mainly relieve symptoms by reducing the pressure on the lower esophageal sphincter and reducing blood flow resistance at the esophagogastric junction. Based on endoscopic submucosal dissection and natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery, peroral endoscopic myotomy (POEM) is a purely endoscopic method of myotomy with minimal invasiveness and a low rate of adverse events when performed by experienced operators. Since then, numerous studies have shown the significant clinical efficacy and safety of POEM. The purpose of this article is to introduce different modified POEMs, special indications for different POEMs, and their advantages as well as disadvantages.

Per-oral endoscopic myotomy for esophageal diverticula with or without esophageal motility disorders

INTRODUCTION

Mid-esophageal and epiphrenic diverticula (MED) can be associated with esophageal motility disorders. Per-oral endoscopic myotomy (POEM) is an established treatment for esophageal motility disorders that has also been introduced for the treatment of MED.

METHODS

Data were prospectively collected from patients with MED treated with POEM at our institution. When esophageal motility disorders were present, myotomy was performed extending the myotomy to the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) to treat the motility dysfunction associated with the diverticulum. In the absence of esophageal motility disorder, POEM was performed without including the LES in the myotomy to achieve diverticulotomy.

RESULTS

Four patients were treated with POEM for MED between April 2017 and March 2018. The patients suffered from distal esophageal spasm, jackhammer esophagus or esophago-gastric junction outflow obstruction. One patient had no esophageal motility disorder. Diverticulum size was 3 cm in one case and 6 cm in the others. Preoperative Eckardt scores ranged from 6 to 8. No life-threatening complications were reported. Intraoperative pneumoperitoneum was described in two cases and one patient experienced aspiration pneumonia. The patients with motility disorders were asymptomatic at 6-8 months follow-up. The patient without documented underlying esophageal motility disorder had an Eckardt score of 3 at 9-months follow-up. Two cases of gastro-esophageal reflux were successfully managed with proton pump inhibitors.

CONCLUSIONS

In the case of MED and esophageal motility disorder, POEM permitted treatment of the underlying cause of the diverticulum, achieving favorable early clinical outcomes. In the absence of motility disorder, POEM was feasible with promising early outcomes, and could be a valid alternative to surgical diverticulectomy in selected patients.

Peroral endoscopic myotomy alone is effective for esophageal motility disorders and esophageal epiphrenic diverticulum: a retrospective single-center study

BACKGROUND

Esophageal epiphrenic diverticulum (ED) is associated with esophageal motility disorder (EMD). If a diverticulum associated with EMD is enlarging with worsening symptoms, surgical intervention, including laparoscopic epiphrenic diverticulectomy with myotomy and fundoplication, is indicated. However, some studies suggest that myotomy alone, with less adverse events, is sufficient to improve symptoms. Additionally, peroral endoscopic myotomy (POEM) is considered effective and safe for EMD. Since theoretically, POEM is endoscopic Heller myotomy, POEM without diverticulectomy is considered a less invasive, promising treatment option for EMD and ED. We aimed to determine the efficacy and safety of POEM alone for ED with EMD.

METHODS

This single-center study was retrospective. A total of 298 patients underwent POEM in Kobe University Hospital from April 2015 to October 2018. Of them, 14 patients had ED. Procedure-related outcomes and treatment outcomes 3 months post POEM were evaluated in these patients.

RESULTS

The median maximum ED diameter was 29 (range 9-90) mm; and the median POEM procedure time, 77.5 (range 41-123) min. Pneumoperitoneum, which required needle decompression, occurred in one patient, but no fatal adverse events occurred. The median Eckardt score significantly decreased from 5 [range 2-11] pre POEM to 0 [range 0-2] post POEM (P < 0.0001). The median integrated relaxation pressure significantly decreased from 22.5 [13.9-34.3] mmHg pre POEM to 10.2 [0.7-23.9] mmHg post POEM (P < 0.0001). Of 14 patients, only one patient complained of gastroesophageal reflux disease symptoms, which could be controlled with a potassium-competitive acid blocker.

CONCLUSIONS

POEM alone seemed effective and safe for patients with EMD and ED.

Endoscopic applications of magnets for the treatment of gastrointestinal diseases

Endoscopic treatment of gastrointestinal diseases has developed rapidly in recent years, due to its minimally invasive nature. One of the main contributing factors for this progress is the improvement of endoscopic instruments, which are essential for facilitating safe and effective endoscopic interventions. However, the slow learning curve required in the implementation of many advanced endoscopic procedures using standard devices is associated with a high risk of complications. Other routine procedures may also be complicated by unexpected difficulties. Based on the ferromagnetic properties of many objects, both internal and external magnetic devices have been developed and applied for multiple endoscopic interventions. The applications of magnets, mainly including compression, anchoring and traction, facilitate many difficult procedures and make it feasible to operate procedures that were previously impossible. Other novel endoscopic applications, such as magnetic nanoparticles, are also under development. In this article, we reviewed published studies of endoscopic applications of magnets for the treatment of gastrointestinal diseases such as precancerous lesions and cancer, obstruction, stricture, congenital and acquired malformations, motility disorders, and ingestion of foreign bodies. Since several endoscopic applications of magnets may also be relevant to surgery, we included them in this review.

2007-2019: a "Third"-Space Odyssey in the Endoscopic Management of Gastrointestinal Tract Diseases

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

The main scope of this review article is to introduce readers to the innovative field of third-space endoscopy and offer a closer look at its history, milestones, and procedure spectrum while discussing ongoing and future challenges arising from its increasing adoption worldwide.

RECENT FINDINGS

Over the past few years, third-space endoscopy has been utilized in various diagnostic and interventional procedures performed throughout the gastrointestinal tract: obliteration of Zenker's diverticulum, myotomy for achalasia, gastroparesis or Hirschsprung's disease, biopsy or removal of subepithelial tumors, stricture management, post-per-oral endoscopic myotomy endoscopic fundoplication, and mediastino-, thoraco-, and peritoneoscopy. Third-space endoscopic interventions have revolutionized the management of esophageal motility disorders, gastroparesis, and gastrointestinal tract subepithelial tumors. Despite the high efficacy and safety of such interventions, some common (e.g., the high level of necessary endoscopic skill) and unique for each procedure (e.g., post-procedure gastroesophageal reflux or poor outcomes in patient subgroups) challenges still remain. Through a dedicated endoscopic training, a rigorous pre-procedure patient evaluation and selection, and the application of modified or new techniques, challenges can be overcome thus establishing existing procedures and paving the way for additional breakthroughs in the field of third-space endoscopy.

Consensus on the digestive endoscopic tunnel technique

With the digestive endoscopic tunnel technique (DETT), many diseases that previously would have been treated by surgery are now endoscopically curable by establishing a submucosal tunnel between the mucosa and muscularis propria (MP). Through the tunnel, endoscopic diagnosis or treatment is performed for lesions in the mucosa, in the MP, and even outside the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. At present, the tunnel technique application range covers the following: (1) Treatment of lesions originating from the mucosal layer, e.g., endoscopic submucosal tunnel dissection for oesophageal large or circular early-stage cancer or precancerosis; (2) treatment of lesions from the MP layer, per-oral endoscopic myotomy, submucosal tunnelling endoscopic resection, etc.; and (3) diagnosis and treatment of lesions outside the GI tract, such as resection of lymph nodes and benign tumour excision in the mediastinum or abdominal cavity. With the increasing number of DETTs performed worldwide, endoscopic tunnel therapeutics, which is based on DETT, has been gradually developed and optimized. However, there is not yet an expert consensus on DETT to regulate its indications, contraindications, surgical procedure, and postoperative treatment. The International DETT Alliance signed up this consensus to standardize the procedures of DETT. In this consensus, we describe the definition, mechanism, and significance of DETT, prevention of infection and concepts of DETT-associated complications, methods to establish a submucosal tunnel, and application of DETT for lesions in the mucosa, in the MP and outside the GI tract (indications and contraindications, procedures, pre- and postoperative treatments, effectiveness, complications and treatments, and a comparison between DETT and other operations).

Esophageal Third Space Endoscopy: Recent Advances

PURPOSE OF THE REVIEW

The novel concept of third space endoscopy was first applied to humans in 2008 for the management of achalasia through peroral endoscopic myotomy (POEM) procedure. Over the ensuing 10 years, this revolutionary procedure, which started in Japan, has been adopted and mastered by surgeons and gastroenterologists across the globe. In this article, we review the recent innovations and applications of third space endoscopy in the management of esophageal disorders.

RECENT FINDINGS

With experience and innovation, the application of third-space endoscopy has extended beyond achalasia, and currently, it is used in the management of other esophageal disorders including, spastic esophageal disorders, subepithelial tumors, complete esophageal obstruction, and esophageal diverticula. The recent advances in third space endoscopic procedures have not only permitted endoscopic access to places, previously thought impossible, but also enabled the precision of surgery along with reduced peri-operative morbidity due to its minimally invasive nature. While short- and mid-term outcome studies have shown excellent results, we eagerly await the long-term outcome studies before these procedures could be established as the procedures of choice.

Submucosal Tunneling Endoscopic Resection (STER) and Other Novel Applications of Submucosal Tunneling in Humans

The submucosal tunneling technique was originally developed to provide safe access to the peritoneal cavity for natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery procedures. With this technique, the submucosal tunnel becomes the working space for partial myotomy and tumor resection. The submucosal space has come to represent the "third space" distinguished from gastrointestinal lumen (first space) and peritoneal cavity (second space). New applications continue to be developed and further clinical applications in the future are anticipated. This article summarizes the current applications of submucosal tunneling endoscopic resection for subepithelial tumors and describes other related uses of submucosal tunneling.