Pharyngeal pouch surgery: a combined open and endoscopic approach.

Pharyngeal pouches are common, particularly in the elderly population, in whom they can cause significant morbidity. The advanced age of many patients and existing comorbidities mean that in some cases neither open nor endoscopic pouch stapling is possible. We present a technique of combined open and endoscopic pharyngeal pouch surgery, which may be used when other therapeutic options are limited.