Safety and efficacy of endoscopic pharyngeal pouch stapling in a large UK study.

Endoscopic stapling of pharyngeal pouch is minimally invasive surgery, ensuing fast recovery and shorter hospitalisation, but previous small case series may have biased outcome. Perioperative and long-term outcome of endoscopic stapling of pharyngeal pouch were examined retrospectively in the largest (n = 62) UK case series. Stapling was not possible in seven patients because of small size of the pouch. Most patients made a full recovery immediately post-operatively. Two patients developed a leak at the stapling site, but critical complications or direct mortality were not observed. Persistence or recurrence of symptoms were observed in 18% of patients and successfully treated by revision endoscopic stapling or open procedure. We recommend endoscopic stapling for all patients with moderate or large pharyngeal pouches.