Durability of pneumatic dilation monotherapy in treatment-naive achalasia patients

• Published in: BMC gastroenterology Vol. 19; no. 1; p. 181
• Main Authors: Javed, Abid T, Batte, Kevin, Khalaf, Mohamed, Abdul-Hussein, Mustafa, Elias, Pooja S, Castell, Donald O
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England BioMed Central Ltd 11.11.2019; BioMed Central; BMC
• Subjects: Achalasia; Care and treatment; Dilatation - adverse effects; Dilatation - methods; Dilatation - statistics & numerical data; Esophageal Achalasia - diagnosis; Esophageal Achalasia - epidemiology; Esophageal Achalasia - therapy; Esophageal Sphincter, Lower - physiopathology; Esophagus; Female; Humans; Long Term Adverse Effects - diagnosis; Long Term Adverse Effects - epidemiology; Male; Manometry; Manometry - methods; Middle Aged; Outcomes; Pneumatic dilation; Recurrence; Retrospective Studies; Treatment Outcome; United States - epidemiology; United States; Manometry; Achalasia; Pneumatic dilation; Outcomes; Esophagus
• ISSN: 1471-230X; 1471-230X
• DOI: 10.1186/s12876-019-1104-z

Pneumatic dilation (PD) is often billed as a "short term" treatment for achalasia but anecdotally can last years. This study sought to explore how long a single pneumatic dilation may induce symptom remission in a treatment-naïve achalasia patient. A single center, retrospective chart review of patients with an ICD-9 or - 10 code of achalasia between 2005 and 2017 was performed. Treatment naïve patients with manometric diagnosis of primary achalasia were included. Outcomes (success or failure); single vs multiple PD; age; and estimated duration of effect were evaluated. Each patient underwent a single PD unless re-intervention was required for relapse. 83 patients (52% female, median 51.6 ± 3.6 years) were included. 43% underwent 2 PD and 13% underwent 3 PD. There was no significant relation between age, gender, and number of PDs. After 1 PD, 87.5% of patients reported > 1 year of symptom remission. 80.5% of relapsed patients reported success after a 2nd dilation. 1 PD was more likely to result in success than multiple PDs (p < 0.001). The measured median duration of remission after 1 PD was 4.23 years, and for 2 PDs, 3.71 years. The median estimated remission time after 1 PD was 8.5 years (CI 7.3-9.7, p = 0.03). PD is a safe, durable treatment for achalasia. A single PD is likely to last years. A second PD, if required, also has a high likelihood of success.