[ENDOSCOPIC RESECTION OF ZENKER DIVERTICULUM - A SINGLE CENTER EXPERIENCE].

BACKGROUND

Zenker diverticulum (ZD) is a pseudodiverticulum and usually affects males in the 6th-9th decade of life, symptoms include dysphagia, regurgitation, chronic cough, aspiration, halitosis and weight loss. Surgery has been the mainstay treatment of symptomatic ZD and can be divided into external and intraluminal (endoscopic) techniques.

METHODS

Charts of all patients who had endoscopic correction of ZD in a tertiary referral center in the last 5 years were retrieved.

RESULTS

Twenty patients, 90% were male, with ZD were reviewed with mean age of 68 +/- 9.5 years. The pre-operative mean pouch size was 3.43 +/- 0.9cm. Intraoperative pouch length was 2.55 +/- 1.5 cm. No major complications such as emphysema and mediastinitis were reported. The recurrence rate was 20%; 3 patients had revision endoscopic procedure and 1 had open surgery.

CONCLUSIONS

Intraoperative length measure of Zenker diverticulum provides a good estimation of its size, with a more discreet and accurate dissection seeming to decrease the rate of major complications. Recurrence rate seems higher in small diverticulum. However, endoscopic treatment of these small diverticulum is safe with a tremendous impact on the patient's quality of life.