[Endoscopic surgical treatment of Zenker hypopharyngeal diverticuli. Apropos of 59 cases].

We report our experience with 59 cases of Zenker's diverticulum, all treated endoscopically from 1979 to 1998. The ages ranged from 59 to 98 years. There were contraindications for conventional surgery or deep general anesthesia for all the patients. The surgical technique of endoscopic treatment was performed under general anesthesia, using a specially designed endoscope for exposure. Scissors, and after 1990 CO2 LASER, were used to divide the posterior cricopharyngeal muscle fibers. There was no major complication. Our results are comparable with literature, 92% success, even though a small diverticulum may paradoxically remain. Besides, from our experience, it may be necessary to perform two sessions for diverticulum larger than 3 cm. This safe and efficient treatment can be recommended for patients of all ages with a contraindication for conventional surgery.