445nm Blue Laser for Cricopharyngeal Myotomy/Zenker's Diverticulotomy: Proof of Concept and Use.

OBJECTIVE(S): Treatment for Zenker's diverticulum and cricopharyngeal dysfunction has evolved to include flexible endoscopic approaches. Currently, no flexible modalities combine the precision cutting of CO2 laser and the hemostasis of knife electrocautery. We present the first series describing fiber-based 445nm blue light (BL) laser for endoscopic cricopharyngeal myotomy/Zenker's diverticulotomy. We describe usage characteristics and laser parameters with rigid esophagoscopy to determine the feasibility of use with flexible endoscopy. METHODS: Retrospective review and literature review. RESULTS: The first nine cases of endoscopic diverticulotomy (n = 5) and cricopharyngeal myotomy (n = 4) with BL were reviewed. Rigid exposure was achieved with the Dohlman Slimline diverticuloscope. Mean age was 75.6 years. Average diverticulum depth was 0.89 cm ±1.0 cm. Pulsed mode was used in seven cases with mean of 6.86 W, 54 ms pulse on, and 286 ms pulse pause and overall mean of 6.00 W and 405 J. Complete myotomy with intact buccopharyngeal fascia and without bleeding limiting view was achieved in all patients. One of two patients in whom continuous wave setting was used developed subcutaneous emphysema following vigorous cough on POD0; this resolved after 7 days nothing per oral (NPO). Eight patients were started on oral intake without evidence for leak. Pulsed mode with fiber-to-tissue contact provided effective muscle cutting without disruption of buccopharyngeal fascia. Literature review yielded three articles examining flexible approach with laser for Zenker's and none with BL. CONCLUSION: BL provides safe and effective fiber-based cutting and hemostasis in endoscopic cricopharyngeal myotomy/Zenker's diverticulotomy. Future use in flexible endoscopic approaches appears feasible, though continuous wave should be avoided. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: IV Laryngoscope, 2024.

Seven-Year Experience of Intramural Surgery in the Middle East: A Safety and Feasibility Analysis.

Background: Intramural surgery techniques, particularly esophageal peroral endoscopic myotomy (E-POEM), gastric peroral endoscopic myotomy (G-POEM), and peroral endoscopic myotomy for Zenker's (Z-POEM), have emerged as forefront minimally invasive endoscopic procedures. While several studies have reported on the outcomes in North America and Asia, evidence in the Middle East and North Africa remains limited. This study aims to evaluate the feasibility and safety of intramural surgery techniques within this region. Methods: This retrospective cohort study was conducted with approval from the institutional review board. All patients who underwent esophageal peroral endoscopic myotomy, gastric peroral endoscopic myotomy, and peroral endoscopic myotomy for Zenker's from January 2016 to August 2023 were included. Results: In total, 119 patients underwent intramural surgery procedures during this period. The esophageal peroral endoscopic myotomy group had 81 (68%) patients, the gastric peroral endoscopic myotomy had 34 (28.6%) patients, and the peroral endoscopic myotomy for Zenker's had 4 (3.4%) patients. The full cohort was 48.7% female, with a mean overall age of 40.5 years. The mean overall body mass index was 27.5 kg/m2. The chief complaint was dysphagia (n = 80, 67.2%). All cases were successfully completed endoscopically. During the first 30 days, the most common complications were nausea/vomiting requiring admission (n = 4, 4.76%) and pneumomediastinum (n = 2, 2.38%). At a follow-up of 19 months, there were four mortalities; the causes of death were cardiac arrest (three cases) and end-stage prostate cancer (one case). Conclusions: Intramural surgery techniques are safe and technically feasible with low complication rates. Our study suggests that clinical success in the Middle East and Northern Africa population is comparable to larger international series.

Cricopharyngomyotomy: Outcomes of flexible endoscopic management of small and medium sized Zenker's diverticulum.

BACKGROUND: Zenker's diverticulum (ZD) was historically treated with an open transcervical myotomy with diverticulectomy, but endoscopic approaches have gained popularity, though with little recent data. This study aimed to report flexible endoscopic cricopharyngomyotomy (FEC) outcomes, particularly in smaller diverticula. METHODS: Patients with ZD treated with FEC at a tertiary center were reviewed. Patients were grouped by diverticulum size: small (sZD)≤1.5 â€‹cm; medium (mZD) â€‹> â€‹1.5 â€‹cm. RESULTS: Of 30 patients, median age, BMI, sex, and comorbidities were similar between sZD (n â€‹= â€‹18) and mZD (n â€‹= â€‹12). Overall, 80.0 â€‹% had the procedure performed with a needle knife. Median number of clips for mucosotomy closure (5.0[5.0,6.0]vs.7.0[5.0,7.0]clips;p â€‹= â€‹0.051), operative time (59.5[51.0,75.0]vs.74.5[51.0,93.5]minutes;p â€‹= â€‹0.498), length-of-stay (1.0[1.0,1.0]vs.1.0[1.0,1.0]days;p â€‹= â€‹0.397), and follow-up (20.8[1.1,33.4]vs.15.6[5.4,50.4]months;p â€‹= â€‹0.641) were comparable. There were no postoperative leaks; incomplete myotomy occurred in one sZD, yielding a clinical success rate of 96.7 â€‹%. CONCLUSIONS: FEC has a high success rate for ZD and an advantage in small diverticula, difficult to treat with stapling or open technique.

Surgical Nonresponders in Zenker Diverticulum and Lower Esophageal Pathology (POUCH Collaborative).

OBJECTIVE: To identify characteristics of patients who have poor improvement in symptoms following surgical management of Zenker Diverticulum (ZD). METHODS: Prospective, multicenter cohort study of all individuals enrolled in the Prospective OUtcomes of Cricopharyngeus Hypertonicity (POUCH) Collaborative who underwent surgical repair of ZD between August 2017 and January 2024. Patient demographics, esophagrams, and the 10-item Eating Assessment Tool (EAT-10) pre- and post-procedure were obtained from a REDCap database. t-tests, Wilcoxon rank sum tests, Chi-square or Fisher's exact tests were used to compare the characteristics. Patients with <50% improvement in their EAT-10 scores were deemed surgical nonresponders (SNRs). Those with ≥50% improvement in their EAT-10 scores were deemed surgical responders (SRs). RESULTS: A total of 184 patients were prospectively followed after undergoing either open or endoscopic surgical management. Twenty-two patients (12%) were deemed SNRs. Preoperative presence of a hiatal hernia was statistically significant characteristic between the SNRs (63.6%) and SRs (32.1%) (p = 0.004). Size of the ZD and history of previous ZD surgery was not a significant characteristic. The length of stay and complication rate were not statistically different between the groups. CONCLUSION: Coexistent esophageal pathology may lead to poor symptomatic improvement following ZD surgery. Preoperative workup of other esophageal disorders is recommended to detect likely SNRs. For SNRs, further esophageal workup may be necessary to evaluate for other esophageal causes related to poor symptomatic improvement following ZD surgery. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level 3 Laryngoscope, 2024.

Modified submucosal tunnelling endoscopic septum division for symptomatic esophageal diverticula is effective and safe: a prospective case series (with video).

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Submucosal tunneling endoscopic septum division (STESD) is a valid endoscopic modality for treating esophageal diverticula. However, it requires highly skilled endoscopists. Here we propose a modified STESD method. METHODS: This is a single center prospective case series. We consecutively enrolled 8 patients diagnosed with esophageal diverticula. All the patients underwent the modified STESD by one experienced endoscopist. RESULTS: Only one patient had intraoperative bleeding and was successfully stopped endoscopically. The size of the diverticula were 3.16 ± 1.14 cm as mean ± SD. The operation time ranged from 27 to 68 min with the mean value of 40.88 min. The number of clips ranged from 4 to 8. The success rate was 100%. None of the patients had symptom recurrences during 2 - 25 months of follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: The modified STESD method for esophageal diverticula is effective and safe, further large prospective controlled studies are needed.

Iatrogenic pharyngo-esophageal diverticulum post-anterior cervical discectomy and fusion: A case report and review of literature.

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to report a case of iatrogenic pharyngoesophageal diverticulum post-anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) surgery, its management and management of postoperative complications. We also did a thorough review of literature about iatrogenic pharyngoesophageal diverticulum which is a rarely encountered complication occurring after a commonly performed surgery; ACDF. Methods: Here we describe a case of iatrogenic pharyngoesophageal diverticulum post-ACDF surgery. In this paper we also make comparisons to the 23 cases reported in the literature in terms of: presentations, clinical findings, management courses, and complications. This study was approved by the Institution Review Board of Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam, Saudi Arabia. (Ref. no.: IRB-2023-01-473). The reported subject provided written informed consent before initiation of this study. Results: Our case is a 45-year-old male with a history of ACDF surgery 8 years ago. He presented with dysphagia and regurgitations which started 1 year after ACDF. He was labeled as a case of Zenker's diverticulum and underwent multiple failed open and endoscopic surgeries prior to presenting to us. Upon presenting to our center, barium swallow showed the pharyngoesophageal diverticulum. Patient definitive diagnosis of iatrogenic rather than Zenker's diverticulum was established intra-operatively with esophagoscopy which revealed exposed hardware inside the diverticulum. He underwent open diverticulectomy and diverticulopexy. Postoperatively he developed pharyngocutanous fistula and right vocal fold palsy, both successfully managed conservatively. Conclusion: Iatrogenic Pharyngoesophageal diverticulum is a rare complication following ACDF, however prolonged dysphagia shall warrant further investigation by contrast studies. Open diverticulectomy with muscle reinforcement is a good management modality. Due to the complicated anatomy secondary to previous operations, we recommend conservative management for patients with postoperative pharyngocutaneous fistula.

Analysis of Google Searches in Laryngology: Where Do People Look and Are the Answers They Find Credible?

OBJECTIVES: Patients recently diagnosed with a new medical condition frequently search the internet to learn about their diagnosis. We aimed to identify specific questions people ask regarding common laryngological diagnoses by evaluating "People Also Ask" (PAA) questions generated by Google, search volume of these diagnoses, and to determine if the sources accessed were credible. STUDY DESIGN: Descriptive study. METHODS: The terms "subglottic stenosis" (SS), "Zenker's diverticulum" (ZD), "vocal fold paralysis" (VFP), and related terms were entered into Google. PAA questions and associated websites were then extracted using Ahrefs software. Questions were categorized into specific topics. Websites were categorized by type and then assessed using the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) benchmark criteria. A search engine optimization tool was used to determine search volume for individual topics. RESULTS: One hundred and forty-four PAA questions (SS n = 52, ZD n = 49, and VFP n = 43) and their associated websites were extracted. Inquiries were most related to disease etiology (34%), management (27.1%), and signs/symptoms (16.7%). Sources most commonly linked to PAA questions were academic (37.6%), government (25.6%), and commercial (16.2%) websites, while medical practice (7.69%), single surgeon (3.42%), and social media (9.40%) websites were less frequently referenced. JAMA scores were highest for government websites (mean 3.35, standard deviation = 0.54) and lowest for academic websites (mean 0.77, standard deviation = 0.14). CONCLUSIONS: The most asked questions regarding SS, ZD, and VFP are related to etiology and management. Academic medical institution websites are most frequently viewed to answer these questions. Therefore, academic laryngological professionals should ensure the information on their websites is current and accurate.

Recurrent Zenker's Traction Diverticulum After Cervical Spine Surgery: Lessons Learned.

This is a report of our institutional experience regarding pharyngoesophageal diverticula formation following anterior cervical spine surgery (ACSS). It is a retrospective chart review of institutional patients from January 2008 to May 2020. Patients at our institution were identified by our two senior authors. Inclusion criteria included patients > 18 years old, a history of prior ACSS, and a confirmed diagnosis of pharyngoesophageal diverticulum with radiographic imaging. Three patients were identified to have an ACSS-related diverticulum. The case presentations describe surgical management and the subsequent postoperative course. One patient had a particularly complicated course with recurrent diverticulum formation despite prior excision. The patient continued to have dense scar tissue adhering the posterior esophageal wall to the nearby cervical spine plates, despite prior excision and rotation of nearby tissue. This difficult case demonstrated the need for an open and aggressive approach. ACSS-related diverticula that form in patients with a history of prior anterior cervical spine surgery appear to be a form of traction diverticulum due to dense scar tissue that adheres the pharyngoesophageal mucosa to the adjacent cervical spinal plate. This type of diverticulum differs from Zenker's diverticulum. Surgical management is recommended to resolve patients' symptoms.

Effect of tobacco use on Zenker's diverticulotomy outcomes.

OBJECTIVE: To compare clinical outcomes in patients with and without history of tobacco use who underwent Zenker's diverticulotomy (ZD). STUDY DESIGN: Single institution retrospective review. SETTING: Tertiary care academic hospital. METHODS: A retrospective review of patients who underwent ZD via an open stapler, rigid endoscopic CO2 laser, stapler or harmonic scalpel, and flexible endoscopic technique from January 2006 to December 2020 was performed. Data were abstracted for patient demographics, diverticular features, and rates of adverse events and symptomatic recurrence. RESULTS: Out of 424 patients, 146 (34.4 %) had a history of tobacco use: 126 (29.7 %) were former smokers, and 20 (4.7 %) were active smokers. In univariable cross-sectional analyses, the likelihood of postoperative bleeding, perforation, emergency department visits, unplanned readmission, or recurrence did not demonstrate an association with tobacco use history even after adjustment for age, sex, and surgical approach. Similarly, in Cox Proportional Hazards regression, tobacco use was not associated with an increased risk of recurrence, even after correcting for age, sex, and type of surgery. The median time to recurrence observed in our cohort was 11.5 years amongst non-smokers, 8.7 years amongst former smokers, and 1.2 years amongst active smokers (p = 0.94). CONCLUSIONS: There were no significant differences in post-operative adverse events or frequency of recurrence of ZD between active, former, and non-smokers. Although underpowered and not statistically significant, median time to recurrence appears to be shorter in smokers when compared with former and non-smokers following surgery.

Smoking impacts outcomes in transcervical Zenker's diverticulectomy.

PURPOSE: There is sparse literature discussing the impact of smoking on postoperative outcomes following surgical treatment of Zenker's diverticulum. In this study, we seek to characterize differences in the management and outcomes of open Zenker's diverticulectomy based on patient smoking status. METHODS AND MATERIALS: This paper is a retrospective cohort review. The 2005-2018 American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement (ACS-NSQIP) database was queried for patients undergoing open Zenker's diverticulectomy. Chi-square and multivariable logistic regression were performed to determine statistical associations between postoperative outcomes and smoking status. RESULTS: Of the 715 identified patients, 70 (9.8 %) were smokers and 645 (91.2 %) were non-smokers. Smokers were younger than non-smokers (mean 63.9 vs. 71.7 years, p < 0.001) and more likely to have a prolonged operative time (20.0 % vs. 11.6 %, p = 0.044). On multivariable regression analysis controlling for demographics and comorbidities, smokers had greater odds than non-smokers for developing overall postoperative complications (OR: 2.776, p = 0.013), surgical infections (OR: 3.194, p = 0.039), medical complications (OR: 3.563, p = 0.011), and medical infections (OR: 1.247, p = 0.016). Smokers also had greater odds for requiring ventilation/intubation (OR: 8.508, p = 0.025) and having a prolonged postoperative stay (OR: 2.425, p = 0.030). CONCLUSION: In a cohort of patients undergoing transcervical Zenker's diverticulectomy, smokers are at increased risk for overall complications, medical complications, medical infections, surgical infections, prolonged postoperative stay, and ventilation/intubation.

Understanding Zenker's Diverticulum Treatment: Transoral CO2 Laser Microsurgery.

The authors present a case of a 36-year-old woman with a recurrent throat foreign body sensation and persistent dysphagia. On physical examination, a polypoid mass was visible at the postcricoid region, mobile with swallowing. A barium swallowing test confirmed the diagnosis of Zenker's diverticulum. The patient underwent transoral CO2 laser microsurgery for excision of the pharyngeal pouch. At the four-month evaluation, the patient was remarkably asymptomatic and without evidence of recurrence. This clinical case illustrates in detail the endoscopic view of the pre and postoperative aspects of the pharyngeal pouch, showing a step-by-step transoral CO2 laser microsurgery technique, with video.

[Endoscopic treatment of recurrent Zenker diverticulum and postoperative esophageal stricture]. / Endoskopicheskaya krikofaringoezofagomiotomiya v lechenii patsientki s retsidivnym divertikulom Tsenkera i posleoperatsionnoi strikturoi pishchevoda.

Zenker diverticulum is a rare disease accounting for 1.5-5% of esophageal diverticula. For a long time, surgical treatment of Zenker pharyngoesophageal diverticula implied open diverticulectomy via cervical approach. However, this intervention is characterized by high postoperative morbidity and recurrence rate. Oral endoscopic minimally invasive cricopharyngoesophagomyotomy has become widespread over the past 10 years. We present a 55-year-old female who underwent endoscopic treatment for recurrent Zenker diverticulum and postoperative esophageal stricture. We obtained favorable result in a patient with recurrent Zenker diverticulum after previous open surgeries complicated by esophageal stricture. Endoscopic management eliminated recurrent diverticulum and esophageal stricture, as well as improved the quality of life. Endoscopic approach is preferable for pharynoesophageal diverticula compared to traditional surgical diverticulectomy. Obvious advantages of this technique are stable functional result, low incidence of complications and mortality, short-term postoperative period with fast rehabilitation. Extended myotomy is essential for successful oral endoscopic cricopharyngoesophagomyotomy.

Squamous Cell Carcinoma Arising in a Zenker's Diverticulum.

Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) developing in a Zenker's diverticulum (ZD) is an uncommon condition. The preferred treatment for SCC in the pharyngeal pouch is complete diverticulum resection. Only histopathological evaluation of the pouch can rule out SCC. Here, we present a case of a 62-year-old male patient, who was evaluated for repeated episodes of aspiration and dysphagia, and diagnosed to have a large ZD, the patient underwent Zenker's diverticulectomy with cricopharyngeal myotomy with wide margins due to clinically suspicious specimen. Histopathological examination revealed well-differentiated SCC arising within ZD, involving the whole thickness of the wall and almost touching the serosa (1 mm). The patient developed metastatic lung nodule on PET-CT, so metastatic lung nodule was excised with video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS), and chemotherapy and immunotherapy were given. On follow-up imaging patient is tumor-free to date, two years after the surgery. The occurrence of synchronous or metachronous lung cancer makes it one of the rarest cases.

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.

Surgical Outcomes in Zenker Diverticula: A Multicenter, Prospective, Longitudinal Study.

OBJECTIVE: To compare improvement in patient-reported outcomes (PROM) in persons undergoing endoscopic and open surgical management of Zenker diverticula (ZD). METHODOLOGY: Prospective, multicenter cohort study of all individuals enrolled in the Prospective OUtcomes of Cricopharyngeus Hypertonicity (POUCH) Collaborative who underwent surgery for ZD. Patient survey, radiography reports, and the 10-item Eating Assessment Tool (EAT-10) pre- and post-procedure were abstracted from a REDCap database, which summarized means, medians, percentages, and frequencies of. Outcome based on operative intervention (endoscopic vs. open) was compared using t-test, Wilcoxon rank sum test or chi-square test, as appropriate. RESULTS: One hundred and forty-seven persons were prospectively followed. The mean age (SD) of the cohort was 68.7 (11.0). Overall, 66% of patients reported 100% improvement in EAT-10; 81% of patients had greater than 75% improvement; and 88% had greater than 50% improvement. Endoscopic was used for n = 109 patients, and open surgical intervention was used for n = 38. The median [interquartile range, IQR] EAT-10 percent improvement for endoscopic treatment was 93.3% [72, 100], and open was 100% [92.3, 100] (p = 0.05). The incidence of intraoperative complications was 3.7% for endoscopic and 7.9% for open surgical management. The median [IQR] in follow-up was 86 and 97.5 days, respectively. CONCLUSION: Both endoscopic and open surgical management of ZD provide significant improvement in patient-reported outcomes. The data suggest that open diverticulectomy may provide a modest advantage in symptomatic improvement compared to endoscopic management. The data suggest that the postoperative complication rate is higher in the open surgical group. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 3 Laryngoscope, 134:97-102, 2024.

Endoluminal treatment for Zenker's diverticulum - a population-based observational study.

BACKGROUND: Zenker's diverticulum is a false diverticulum arising in the oesophago-pharyngeal junction. It may cause symptoms like dysphagia and regurgitation. In Central Norway, treatment is centralized to St. Olavs hospital, either as an endoscopic stapled oesophago-diverticulostomy procedure at the Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery or as laser diverticulostomy at the Department of Ear, Nose and Throat Surgery, depending on diverticulum size. METHODS: Retrospective, population-based, study from 2001-2020 on patients treated for Zenker's diverticulum, at the time with a rigid endoscopic approach. Patients were identified through the in-hospital register for operations. The two treatment groups were compared on relevant pre-, intra-, and postoperative variables by review of the individual patient records. RESULTS: 78 consecutive patients, 36 at Dept. of Ear, Nose and Throat Surgery and 42 at Dept. of Gastrointestinal Surgery, were treated with a total of 104 interventions. Crude incidence for a surgery-demanding Zenker's diverticulum was 0.57 per 100 000 per year. The Dept. of Ear, Nose and Throat Surgery administered significantly less often prophylactic antibiotics than the Dept. of Gastrointestinal Surgery (p < 0.001), administered more frequently intraoperative dexamethasone (p < 0.001), and had significantly more postoperative infections (19.6% vs 3.4%, p = 0.01). No procedure-related mortality was registered. Although no standardized follow-up took place, at a median of 119 months elapsed, observed clinical recurrence was 35% for the endostapler treatment and 51% for the laser treatment procedure. CONCLUSION: Both rigid endoscopic stapled oesophago-diverticulostomy and laser diverticulostomy are safe treatments for Zenker's diverticulum, however with a substantial risk of recurrence.

Outcomes after per-oral endoscopic myotomy for Zenker's diverticula (Z-POEM) and correlation with impedance planimetry (FLIP).

INTRODUCTION: Zenker's diverticulum (ZD) is a false pulsion diverticulum of the cervical esophagus. It is typically found in older adults and manifests with dysphagia. The purpose of this study is to describe our experience with Per-oral endoscopic myotomy for Zenker's (Z-POEM) and intraoperative impedance planimetry (FLIP). METHODS: We performed a single institution retrospective review of patients undergoing Z-POEM in a prospective database between 2014 and 2022. Upper esophageal sphincter (UES) distensibility index (DI, mm2/mmHg) was measured by FLIP before and after myotomy. The primary outcome was clinical success. Secondary outcomes included technical failure, adverse events, and quality of life as assessed by the gastroesophageal health-related quality of life (GERD-HRQL), reflux severity index (RSI), and dysphagia score. A statistical analysis of DI was done with the paired t-test (p < 0.05). RESULTS: Fifty-four patients underwent Z-POEM, with FLIP measurements available in 30 cases. We achieved technical success and clinical success in 54/54 (100%) patients and 46/54 patients (85%), respectively. Three patients (6%) experienced contained leaks. Three patients were readmitted: one for aforementioned contained leak, one for dysphagia, and one post-operative pneumonia. Three patients with residual dysphagia underwent additional endoscopic procedures, all of whom had diverticula > 4 cm. Following myotomy, mean DI increased by 2.0 ± 1.7 mm2/mmHg (p < 0.001). In those with good clinical success, change in DI averaged + 1.6 ± 1.1 mm2/mmHg. Significant improvement was found in RSI and GERD-HRQL scores, but not dysphagia score. CONCLUSION: Z-POEM is a safe and feasible for treatment of ZD. We saw zero cases of intraoperative abandonment. We propose that large diverticula (> 4 cm) are a risk factor for poor outcomes and may require additional endoscopic procedures. An improvement in DI is expected after myotomy, however, the ideal range is still not known.

Effectiveness and safety of stag beetle knife (SB knife) in management of Zenker's diverticulum: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Stag Beetle Knife (SB Knife) is increasingly being utilized for Zenker's Diverticulectomy (ZD). Our study assessed the effectiveness and safety of the SB Knife for the management of ZD. Ovid EBM reviews, Ovid Embase, Ovid Medline, ClinicalTrials.gov, Scopus, and Web of Science were searched to identify studies that utilized SB knife for ZD. Pooled proportions (PP) were calculated using the random-effects model. Heterogeneity was evaluated using I2 statistics. A total of 7 studies with 268 patients were included in the final analysis. Dysphagia and regurgitation were the most common clinical symptoms. The mean size of the ZD was 2.8 ± 0.7 cm and 28 (of 148) patients had undergone previous treatments. The PP of technical success was 98% (95% CI: 92.3-99.5; I20) with a mean procedure duration of 26.2 ± 8.3 minutes. The PP of clinical response at first follow-up and relapse after index procedure was 87.9% (95% CI: 81.6-92.3; I219) and 13.5% (95% CI: 9.6-18.6; I22), respectively. At final follow-up, the PP of clinical remission was 96.2% (95% CI: 91-98.4; I230.6) while the PP of procedure failure was 3.6% (95% CI: 1.6-8.1; I20). No severe adverse events (AEs) were noted while using the SB Knife. However, the PP of intraprocedural and postprocedural AEs was 13.2% (95% CI: 9.6-17.8; I20) and 9.3% (95% CI: 5.7-14.9; I2 < 20.9), respectively. SB Knife is highly safe and effective for Zenker's Diverticulectomy with a failure rate of only 3.6%.

Postoperative Care of Zenker Diverticula: Contemporary Perspective from the Prospective OUtcomes Cricopharyngeaus Hypertonicity (POUCH) Collaborative.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of the study was to identify trends in postoperative management of persons undergoing surgery for Zenker diverticula (ZD) by evaluating length of stay (LOS), diet on discharge, and imaging with or without surgical complication. METHODS: Prospectively enrolled adult patients with cricopharyngeal muscle dysfunction with diverticula undergoing surgery from August 1, 2017 to February 1, 2023 were included. Data were extracted from a multi-institutional REDCap database, summarizing means, medians, percentages, and frequencies. Fisher's exact or chi squared analyses were utilized, as appropriate, to compare subsets of data. Descriptive analysis assessed differences in clinical course and the relationship to postoperative management. RESULTS: There were 298 patients with a mean (standard deviation) age of 71.8 (11.2) years and 60% male. Endoscopic surgery was performed in 79.5% (237/298) of patients versus 20.5% (61/298) open surgery. Sixty patients (20.1%) received postoperative imaging, with four leaks identified. Complications were identified in 9.4% of cases (n = 29 complications in 28 patients), more commonly in open surgery. Most (81.2%) patients were discharged within 23 h. About half of patients (49%) were discharged from the hospital on a pureed/liquid diet; 36% had been advanced to a soft diet. In patients without complications, LOS was significantly longer following open cases (p = 0.002); postoperative diet was not different between open and endoscopic (p = 0.26). CONCLUSIONS: Overall, most patients are discharged within 23 h without imaging. However, LOS was affected by surgical approach. Postoperative complications are different in endoscopic versus open surgery. Complications with either approach were associated with prolonged LOS, need for imaging, and diet restriction. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level III Laryngoscope, 134:2678-2683, 2024.

Videodeglución: un estudio siempre actual que nunca envejece. Técnica y aplicación en la práctica diaria / Videodeglution: an up-to-date study that never gets old. Technique and application in daily practice

Resumen La videodeglución es un estudio fisiológico y en tiempo real que, al momento, no tiene reemplazo por otra modalidad. Ofrece información relevante sobre el sistema estomatognático del paciente, así como sobre la estructura y la funcionalidad orofaríngea y esofágica. Este estudio cuenta con distintas fases (oral, faríngea y esofágica) en las que se analizan diversas estructuras, así como la funcionalidad de estas a través de degluciones inducidas de diferentes consistencias (semisólido, líquido, sólido). Las patologías que pueden encontrarse son múltiples, siendo algunas de las más frecuentes la disfunción del músculo cricofaríngeo, la penetración/aspiración en la vía aérea, los divertículos y la acalasia. Resulta fundamental su ejecución con una técnica correcta, conociendo previamente la sintomatología, el motivo por el cual fue indicada, la anatomía de las estructuras/cavidades y la fisiología de la deglución. Por lo tanto, una adecuada técnica en la ejecución de la videodeglución y el conocimiento preliminar de la anatomía y la fisiología, así como de los hallazgos y patologías más frecuentes, son fundamentales para una adecuada evaluación del paciente y una correcta interpretación de las imágenes.

Abstract Video swallowing is a physiological and real-time study that, at the moment, cannot be replaced by another modality. It offers relevant information about the patient's stomatognathic system, as well as the oropharyngeal and esophageal structure and function. This study has different phases (oral, pharyngeal and esophageal) where various structures are analyzed, as well as their functionality through induced objects of different consistencies (semi-solid, liquid and solid). The pathologies that can be found are multiple, some of the most frequent being dysfunction of the cricopharyngeal muscle, penetration/aspiration into the airway, diverticula and achalasia. Its execution with a correct technique is fundamental, knowing previously the symptomatology, reason for which it was indicated, the anatomy of the structures/cavities and the physiology of swallowing. Therefore, an adequate technique in the execution of video swallowing and preliminary knowledge of anatomy and physiology, as well as the most frequent findings and pathologies, are fundamental for a correct evaluation of the patient and interpretation of the images.