Achalasia and epiphrenic diverticulum are rare disorders of the esophagus that can cause difficulty swallowing, chest pain, coughing, vomiting, and breathing problems.
A team led by Dr. Roy Patankar successfully treated 72 patients with achalasia and 5 patients with diverticulum over a 10-year study.
The findings were published in the Annals of the Royal College of Surgeons of England in 2019.
The condition occurs when the esophagus fails to move food properly into the stomach due to muscle and nerve dysfunction. If untreated, it can lead to pneumonia or esophageal cancer.
Doctors treated patients using a minimally invasive laparoscopic Heller procedure (cardiomyotomy), in which the esophageal muscle is surgically widened to improve swallowing.
According to Dr. Patankar, the surgery offers long-term relief and significant improvement in symptoms compared to earlier treatments like balloon dilation, which often recurred within months.
Patients were monitored for two years after surgery, and most showed substantial recovery and improved quality of life.
