Heller myotomy

Heller myotomy is a form of surgeryin which the muscles of the cardia(lower esophageal sphincter) are cut, allowing food/liquid to pass to the stomach. It is used to treat achalasia, in which the cardia fails to relax properly, making it difficult to swallow food and liquids.

It was suggested by Heller in 1913 and was initially performed using an open procedure, thoracotomy, which carries significant risks and requires long recovery times. Modern Heller myotomy is performed using minimally invasivelaparoscopictechniques, which minimize risks and speed recovery significantly.

During the procedure, the patient is put under general anesthesia. Five or six small incisions are made on the abdominal walland a laparoscope is inserted into the area around the stomach. Assuming no complications, most healthy patients can take clear liquids later the same day and soft foods within 2-3 days. The typical hospital stay is 2-3 days and most patients can return to work after about a week. Heavy physical exertion is typically restricted for eight weeks or more.

This surgery (often combined with partial fundoplicationto reduce the incidence of postoperative acid reflux) is used in the treatment of achalasiaand is considered to be a long-term treatment--many patients do not require further treatment. Though it does not correct the underlying cause(s) and does not result in the complete absence of achalasia symptoms, the vast majority of patients find that the surgery greatly improves their ability to eat and drink.

See also

• Achalasia

External links

• Laparoscopic Surgery for Achalasia
• UpToDate Patient Information: Achalasia

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License.
It uses material from the http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heller+myotomy Wikipedia article Heller myotomy.