The treatment of pharyngeal pouch

Adverse Events after Rigid and Flexible Endoscopic Repair of Zenker’s Diverticula: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Objective

To determine adverse events after endoscopic flexible vs endoscopic rigid cricopharyngeal myotomy for treatment of Zenker’s diverticulum (ZD).

Data Sources

Systematic review of MEDLINE, Web of Science, CINAHL, Clinicaltrials.gov, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials for all years according to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Additional studies were identified from review citations and a by hand search of manuscripts referencing ZD.

Review Methods

A structured literature search was conducted to identify studies for this systematic review. Methodological Index for Non-randomized Studies (MINORS) criteria were applied to assess study quality. For inclusion, each study had to provide data for at least 10 adult patients who had undergone endoscopic ZD repair reporting clear association with the postprocedure course in each case. Data extracted included all reported adverse events, recurrences, follow-up, and operative times.

Results

In total, 115 studies were included. All but 8 were retrospective case series. Sixty-one reported series of patients after rigid endoscopic stapler repair, 31 after rigid laser repair, and 13 with other rigid endoscopic instruments. Twenty-nine flexible endoscopic studies were included. Mortality, infection, and perforation were not significantly more likely in either the rigid or the flexible group, but bleeding and recurrence were more likely after flexible endoscopic techniques (20% vs <10% and 4% vs 0%, respectively). Dental injury and vocal fold palsy were reported rarely in the rigid endoscopic groups.

Conclusions

Adverse events are rare after endoscopic Zenker’s repair. The flexible approach minimizes exposure limitations and can be completed in some patients without general anesthesia. Transoral rigid approaches result in fewer revision surgeries compared with flexible diverticulotomy.

Long-Term Results of Endoscopic Stapling Diverticulotomy for Pharyngeal Pouches

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the long-term success of endoscopic stapling as a primary procedure for the treatment of pharyngeal pouches.

METHODS: This study is a retrospective case review of 25 patients with pharyngeal pouches treated by endoscopic stapling (23 stapled, 2 abandoned) over a 4-year period (1994 to 1998) at a University teaching hospital in the United Kingdom. Outcomemeasures used were relief of symptoms over a long-term follow-up of 2 to 5 years.

RESULTS: Of the 25 patients analyzed, 12 patients (48%) have remained asymptomatic after their initial stapling. Eight patients (32%) were relieved of their symptoms after revision stapling. The overall long-term success rate for endoscopic stapling was 80% (20 of 25 patients)

CONCLUSION: Reduced morbidity and few complications in the elderly make endoscopic stapling a favored primary technique of treating pharyngeal pouches. Open surgery is recommended only in healthy patients with very large pouches.

Is pharyngeal pouch stapling superior to open pharyngeal pouch repair? An analysis of a single institution's series

BACKGROUND

Endoscopic stapling has become the primary procedure for pharyngeal pouch surgery because it is quick, less invasive and safe, but less is known about long-term outcomes.

METHOD

Medical records were reviewed to compare rates of morbidity, operative failure, symptom control and revision surgery between open and closed procedures.

RESULTS

A total of 120 pharyngeal pouch procedures, carried out on 97 patients from 2000 to 2014, were studied. These included 80 endoscopic stapling and 40 open procedures. Twelve patients had complications (15 per cent) and there was one mortality (1.2 per cent) in the endoscopic stapling group. Ten patients (25 per cent) developed complications in the open procedure group, with no mortalities. Symptom recurrence was significantly greater in the endoscopic stapling group (26 per cent) than in the open procedure group (7.5 per cent). Multiple surgical procedures were required for 22 endoscopically stapled patients (32 per cent); none were required in the open procedure group. Although the male-to-female ratio for pharyngeal pouch incidence was 2:1, the ratio for multiple surgical procedures was 10:1.

CONCLUSION

Endoscopic stapling outcomes are not as good as those following an open approach on long-term follow up, and the early advantages are eliminated if pouch excision is avoided.

Carcinoma Arising in a Pharyngeal Pouch Previously Treated by Endoscopic Stapling

OBJECTIVES

A case is described in which squamous cell carcinoma was found during surgery for a recurrent pharyngeal pouch previously treated by endoscopic stapling. A search of the English language literature suggests this is the first reported case of a carcinoma developing in a pharyngeal pouch previously treated by endoscopic stapling.

STUDY DESIGN

Case report and literature review.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The records of a patient who presented with a recurrent pharyngeal pouch after a previous endoscopic stapling procedure were reviewed. The presentation, imaging, and histopathologic findings are presented and the implications of these discussed.

RESULTS

Imaging confirmed a recurrent pharyngeal diverticulum. An endoscopic assessment revealed the presence of tumor in the recurrent pouch that histopathologic evaluation confirmed to be squamous cell carcinoma. The patient underwent an external excision of this diverticulum followed by a course of external beam radiotherapy.

CONCLUSIONS

This is the first reported case of a carcinoma developing in a recurrent pharyngeal diverticulum previously treated by endoscopic stapling and brings to light a rare risk of endoscopic stapling procedures for the treatment of pharyngeal diverticula.

An audit of pharyngeal pouch surgery using endoscopic stapling. The patient's viewpoint

We report an audit designed to assess patient satisfaction resulting from pharyngeal pouch surgery using an endoscopic stapler. A personal series of 16 patients all operated on by the senior author over a 3-year period is reported. Information was gathered using a retrospective telephone questionnaire to establish pre- and postoperative symptoms, complications of surgery and patient satisfaction. This showed endoscopic pharyngeal pouch surgery to be successful in the majority of cases. Eighty-seven percent of patients felt better as a result of surgery. Seventy-five percent had no symptoms postoperatively. This series shows that surgery on pharyngeal pouches results in significant improvement in patient symptoms with minimal morbidity and mortality.

A retrospective review of pharyngeal pouch surgery in 56 patients

We retrospectively reviewed 56 consecutive patients treated surgically for a pharyngeal pouch at our institution between 1989-1999 (10 years). Various surgical procedures were performed including endoscopic stapling (20), external excision (23), Dohlman's procedure (9), pouch inversion (3), cricopharyngeal myotomy only (3), and pouch suspension (1). There were 12 patients (18%) with complications and one mortality (2%). Four patients (7%) had a recurrence with 2 requiring further surgery. Over the latter 3 years, endoscopic stapling has emerged as the primary procedure for pharyngeal pouch surgery in our unit; with the advantages of an earlier commencement of diet and earlier hospital discharge. However, results were not as good as for external excisions. Furthermore, there were difficulties with 3 cases that commenced as endoscopic stapling procedures but had to he converted to external excisions due to inaccessibility in one case and iatrogenic perforations in two cases. As with any new technique, problems may occur and a learning curve has been appreciated in our unit. Surgeons must he prepared, with informed consent, to convert to an external approach should difficulties arise during endoscopic stapling. Elderly and frail patients who are at risk from a general anaesthetic may benefit from endoscopic stapling. External excision of pharyngeal pouches may be more appropriate in the young, the medically fit, and when malignancy is a concern.

Pharyngeal pouch (Zenker's diverticulum)

Pharyngeal pouches occur most commonly in elderly patients (over 70 years) and typical symptoms include dysphagia, regurgitation, chronic cough, aspiration, and weight loss. The aetiology remains unknown but theories centre upon a structural or physiological abnormality of the cricopharyngeus. A diagnosis is easily established on barium studies. Treatment is surgical via an endoscopic or external cervical approach and should include a cricopharyngeal myotomy. Unfortunately pharyngeal pouch surgery has long been associated with significant morbidity, partly due to the surgery itself and also to the fact that the majority of patients are elderly and often have general medical problems. External approaches are associated with higher complication rates than endoscopic procedures. Recently, treatment by endoscopic stapling diverticulotomy has becoming increasingly popular as it has distinct advantages, although long term results are not yet available. The small risk of developing carcinoma within a pouch that is not excised remains a contentious issue and is an argument for long term follow up or treating the condition by external excision, particularly in younger patients.

Endoscopic staple-assisted esophagodiverticulostomy: an excellent treatment of choice for Zenker's diverticulum

OBJECTIVES

The objectives of the present study are to review the technique of endoscopic staple-assisted esophagodiverticulostomy (ESED) for the treatment of Zenker's diverticulum and to describe our experience and modifications with ESED and the advantages of ESED over previous treatments of Zenker's diverticulum.

STUDY DESIGN

Retrospective review of 74 cases of ESED performed for the treatment of Zenker's diverticulum.

METHODS

Patient's records were retrospectively reviewed and tabulated for age, sex, size of diverticulum, symptoms, duration of symptoms, operative time, length of postoperative hospital stay, oral intake, complications, and relief of symptoms.

RESULTS

The senior author (R.L.S) previously reported results in 36 cases of ESED performed in 34 patients with Zenker's diverticulum. We have performed an additional 38 cases of ESED in 37 patients between March 1997 and August 1999. The rate of success of ESED was similar between the two series The average perioperative time, time until oral intake, and length of postoperative hospital stay decreased in the second series. Overall, there were no mortalities and few complications with ESED. Compared with other forms of treatment of Zenker's diverticulum, such as Dohlman's procedure, diverticulectomy, and diverticulopexy, ESED has a similar rate of success, decreased perioperative time, decreased convalescence, and decreased mortality and complications.

CONCLUSIONS

Cost-effectiveness, safety, and efficacy of ESED offer new advantages over previously used treatments for Zenker's diverticulum. These results continue to support the use of ESED as the initial treatment of choice for patients with Zenker's diverticulum.

Comparison of the endoscopic stapling technique with more established procedures for pharyngeal pouches: results and patient satisfaction survey

Pharyngeal pouch surgery by the external approach has been shown to be effective but has a relatively high complication rate. We compared the outcome of 17 patients who had cricopharyngeal myotomy alone or combined with excision/inversion/suspension, simple pouch excision and Dohlman's procedure with 17 patients who had the relatively new Endo GIA-30 endoscopic stapling technique. Results were obtained retrospectively by postal questionnaire and medical records. We conclude that endoscopic stapling shortens the return to normal diet and in-patient stay. These patients also experience better swallowing and are generally more satisfied with the procedure. We have accepted endoscopic stapling as the method of choice for the treatment of pharyngeal pouches.

Endoscopic laser myotomy in the treatment of pharyngeal diverticula

The endoscopic approach is a simple and cost-effective option in the treatment of hypopharyngeal diverticula. Whereas almost a third of all endoscopic myotomies performed by UK otolaryngologists are carried out with the stapling technique, CO2 laser diverticulotomy has not been given as much consideration (Koay et al., in press). We report on the first British series of 15 patients treated between 1985 and 1993 with microscopic laser diverticulotomy. The follow-up period was four to 11 years. Complications occurred in three patients, two patients required a repeat myotomy and 11 patients have been satisfied with their swallow since the operation. Our results are similar to those of larger studies. The laser technique is more established than the stapling gun myotomy and it has the advantage of superior visualization. It may also be used in small pouches which do not admit the insertion of a stapling gun.

Endoscopic stapling diverticulotomy for pharyngeal pouch

Fifteen endoscopic stapling diverticulotomy procedures were performed on 14 patients. Our preliminary results show the technique to be fast. effective and safe. Most patients resumed oral intake within 6 h post-operatively and were discharged from hospital within 24 h. The technique has many advantages over both the external diverticulectomy and the traditional Dohlman's procedure. The short operating time and short hospital stay are an advantage. Our follow-up period was between 1 and 12 months. Long-term results require evaluation.

Endoscopic diverticulotomy for the treatment of Zenker's diverticulum

First described by Mosher in 1916, endoscopic treatment of Zenker's diverticulum has since been reported infrequently in the surgical literature and continues to engender controversy. Between 1978 and 1989, we treated 11 unselected patients surgically for pharyngoesophageal diverticula. Endoscopic diverticulotomy was used in 11 patients and an external approach was used in the others. The endoscopically treated patients had no serious complications, resumed oral intake early, and were discharged from the hospital earlier. Our review of the surgical literature confirmed our experience with the efficacy and safety of the procedure. We therefore recommend endoscopic diverticulotomy as being equal to external approaches with regard to effectiveness; and it affords the patient a shortened hospital stay and more rapid return to to the premorbid state.

Surgical therapy of Zenker's diverticulum: low risk and high efficiency

Surgery for the treatment of Zenker's diverticulum was performed at our institution in a total of 43 patients over 6 1/2 years. Cervical myotomy with diverticulectomy was performed in 32 of the patients and myotomy alone in 11. Mortality totaled 0%, with a reversible lesion of the recurrent nerve occurring in 7%. In 60% of the cases investigated preoperatively (N = 40), motility disorders of the upper esophageal sphincter (UES) could be demonstrated using manometry as well as with cineradiography in 92% of the patients. Follow-up studies in 39 of the cases 25 months (mean) postprocedure indicated 82% of the patients to be symptom-free, with the remaining 18% demonstrating a marked improvement. Postoperative manometry as well as cineradiography carried out in 12 patients revealed the presence of UES motility dyscoordination in 8% and 25%, respectively. There were, however, no signs of recurrence of the diverticulum. The high number of patients in our study group demonstrating motility disorders of the UES emphasizes the need for cervical myotomy as part of the surgical therapy for Zenker's diverticulum.

New endoscope for (laser) endoscopic diverticulotomy

In the United States, traditional treatment of the hypopharyngeal (Zenker's) diverticulum has been single stage transcutaneous diverticulectomy. Complications following this procedure include mediastinitis, vocal cord paralysis, esophageal stenosis, fistula, and recurrent or persistent diverticulum. Endoscopic diverticulotomy, widely used throughout Europe, is relatively straightforward and efficacious. Transoral management of these diverticulae has allowed symptomatic relief with a low incidence of complications. A new endoscope has been developed to facilitate use of the carbon dioxide laser for endoscopic diverticulotomy. The instrument combines the characteristics of the Dohlman endoscope (bilateral distal slots) with a wider proximal end for microscopic endoscopy, a smoke evacuator channel, a fiberoptic light carrier, and a handle adaptable for suspension microendoscopy.

Surgical management of posterior pharyngeal pulsion diverticula: inversion versus one-stage excision

At present one-stage excision of the posterior pharyngeal pulsion diverticulum is the most popular method of treatment in the UK and the USA. We have reviewed 53 patients who have presented to this unit between 1968 and 1986, to compare the results of different surgical techniques. Of these, 21 underwent excision and myotomy, 20 inversion and myotomy, and 9 myotomy alone. The results show that the mortality for the whole group was 4 per cent, but there were no deaths in either the inversion or myotomy group. The excision group had a complication rate of 52 per cent, compared with 30 per cent for inversion, and also had more major problems such as fistula. Median hospital stay was shorter for inversion than for excision, at 7 and 10 days respectively. In summary we believe that inversion of the posterior pharyngeal pulsion diverticula is now the surgical treatment of choice.

Carcinoma arising in posterior pharyngeal pulsion diverticulum (Zenker's diverticulum)

Carcinoma is a rare but recognized complication of posterior pharyngeal pulsion (Zenker's diverticulum). Such diverticula merit radiological and endoscopic examination before operation. Surgery is preferred to radiotherapy in the treatment of carcinoma, the choice of operation resting between one-stage diverticulectomy for cancer confined to the body of the sac and pharyngolaryngectomy for more extensive lesions.

Pharyngeal diverticula

A series of 73 hypopharyngeal (Zenker's) diverticula is reported and the choice of treatment and technique of excision are discussed. The problems of excision include operation on an infected site with limited access but few patients are unfit for the procedure. Preoperatively the sac should be packed and the oesophagus stented. The side of approach is unimportant as the condition is essentially midline. Cricopharyngeal myotomy appears to reduce the recurrence rate, possibly by improving coordination of pharyngeal contraction and upper oesophageal relaxation. The use of electrocoagulation is not recommended as 20% of patients require repeated general anaesthesia and the procedure fails in 13%. For all but the smallest pouches, excision is the treatment of choice.

The treatment of pharyngeal pouch

A case of carcinoma occurring in a pouch following a Dohlman's operation is reported. The management and complications of ninety-two patients with pharyngeal diverticula are discussed. The average length of hospitalization for patients undergoing diverticulectomy was sixteen days compared with eleven days for those treated by Dohlman's technique. The risk of carcinoma subsequently occurring in a retrained pouch should be considered and external diverticulectomy should be the treatment of choice whenever possible.