METHODS: A retrospective review of a Medicare database within the PearlDiver Supercomputer (Warsaw, IN) was performed for patients undergoing open (OCTR) or endoscopic carpal tunnel release (ECTR) from 2005–2012. The PearlDiver database is a publicly available Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)compliant national database compiled from a collection of private payer recor...

myotomy during peroral endoscopic myotomy Peroral endoscopic myotomy (POEM) is being increasingly performed for the management of achalasia. One of the major technical challenges in performing POEM is assessing the extent of the submucosal tunnel, as this will determine the extent of the myotomy. The myotomy should extend 2–3cm beyond the lower esophageal sphincter, as an adequate cardiomyotomy...

There has been booming interest in natural orifice transluminal surgery since it was first described. Several techniques first developed for the safe transluminal access now derive into independent endoscopic surgical procedures. In this paper, we describe a case treated by a novel procedure by submucosal tunnelling technique and provide a literature review of the rise of tunnel endoscopic surg...

Peripheral nerve injuries and brachial plexus injuries are relatively frequent. Significance of these injuries lies in the fact that the majority of patients with these types of injuries constitute working population. Since these injuries may create disability, they present substantial socioeconomic problem nowadays. This article will present current state-of-the-art achievements of minimal inv...

A 45-year-old woman had refractory Epstein–Barr virus-associated gastroparesis. Despite lifestyle modification and medication therapy, the patient had recurrent hospitalizations for gastroparesis. Management also included four previous sessions of endoscopic botulinum toxin injection. Despite transient symptomatic improvement, the patient’s symptoms had recurred. She was not a candidate for sur...