Background Achalasia is a chronic disease that can be managed with effective endoscopic modalities. Aim To evaluate the effectiveness of single setting of pneumatic balloon dilatation for achalasia and assess the long-term success and outcomes. Materials and methods This is a retrospective study of all achalasia patients who underwent pneumatic balloon dilatation at our institute. Patients ...

To assess the value of pneumatic dilatation of the cardia, 63 patients with achalasia have undergone a total of 107 Rider-Moeller dilatations over the last six years. There was a marked improvement in swallowing immediately after dilatation in all but two patients, there were no deaths attributable to the procedure and serious complications were rare (1.6% of patients). The first 50 cases have ...

Achalasia is an esophageal disease due to inability of relaxation of the lower esophageal sphincter (LES), frequently associated with loss of peristalsis in the distal esophagus results from the degeneration of ganglion cells in the myenteric plexus in the esophageal wall [1,2]. Pneumatic dilatation (PD) of the esophagus is the first line method of therapy of achalasia. Pneumatic balloon dilata...

Objective Achalasia Cardia is treated by Pneumatic balloon dilatation, Heller's Myotomy and recently, by Peroral Esophagaeal Myotomy. This study reports the efficacy of pneumatic balloon dilatation as a non-surgical motility in achieving relief of dysphagia, clinical improvement and recurrence. Long-term complications were reported. Methods Eight hundred ninety two adult achalasia patients of...

Achalasia cardia is a motility disorder of the esophagus characterized by failure of relaxation of the lower esophageal sphincter. Nitrates and calcium channel blockers, pneumatic dilatation, botulinum toxin injection and surgical myotomy have been described in literature as possible management options. We present a patient who presented with achalasia and was co-incidentally diagnosed to have ...

Eighteen patients with achalasia of the cardia diagnosed by radiography, endoscopy, and manometry were subjected to forced pneumatic dilatation under fluoroscopic control. The procedure was uneventful in all but one patient who developed a pneumomediastinum which resolved on conservative management. A satisfactory result was obtained in 16 patients (89%), 10 patients remaining asymptomatic and ...

We read with interest the article by Eckardt et al regarding the long term results of pneumatic dilatation in achalasia (Gut 2004;53:629–33). Fifty four patients were followed up for a median of 14 years after a single pneumatic dilatation using the Browne-McHardy dilator. Five and 10 year remission rates were 40% and 36%, respectively, and repeated dilatations only mildly improved the clinical...

We describe a patient with dysphagia. The results of endoscopy, CT scan and echoendoscopy were normal. High-resolution manometry (HRM) showed esogastric junction dysfunction and hypercontractile peristaltic disorder. These HRM abnormalities completely disappeared after pneumatic esophageal dilatation. We discuss the treatment options and recovery of peristalsis after balloon dilatation.

We read with interest the article by Eckardt et al regarding the long term results of pneumatic dilatation in achalasia (Gut 2004;53:629–33). Fifty four patients were followed up for a median of 14 years after a single pneumatic dilatation using the Browne-McHardy dilator. Five and 10 year remission rates were 40% and 36%, respectively, and repeated dilatations only mildly improved the clinical...

BACKGROUND In the treatment of achalasia, surgery has been traditionally reserved for patients with residual dysphagia after pneumatic dilatation. The results of laparoscopic Heller myotomy have proven to be so good, however, that most experts now consider surgery the primary treatment. HYPOTHESIS The outcome of laparoscopic myotomy and fundoplication for achalasia is dictated by technical fa...