[Per-oral endoscopic myotomy in achalasia].

The treatment of patients with achalasia is complex due to a considerably high recurrence rate and risk of treatment-related complications. The per-oral endoscopic myotomy (POEM) is a new endoscopic technique that combines the benefits of a minimally invasive endoscopic procedure with the efficacy of a surgical myotomy. Implementation of the POEM technique may lead to fewer complications, a lower recurrence rate and reduced costs. During the procedure, a myotomy of the circular muscle layer of the oesophagus is performed after creating a submucosal tunnel in the oesophagus. The first studies of this new technique show promising results. Experienced therapeutic endoscopists can learn to perform the POEM technique relatively easily. Further studies are needed to compare this technique with the current standard treatments and to evaluate long-term effects.