Clinical Outcomes and Financial Impact of a POEM Program at a Rural Tertiary Medical Center: Our First five Years.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to assess the 5-year impact of a per oral endoscopic myotomy (POEM) program on both clinical and financial outcomes for our hospital system and the rural community we serve.

Methods: We evaluated the clinical and financial outcomes of all patients who underwent POEM for achalasia. Patients were also contacted by phone to complete the Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease-Health Related Quality of Life (GERD-HRQL) questionnaire postoperatively.

Pulmonary valve infective endocarditis caused by Mycobacterium abscessus.

Infective endocarditis caused by Mycobacterium abscessus is an uncommon event that, when it does occur, usually requires surgical valve replacement. The pulmonary valve is the least common heart valve involved in infective endocarditis. We present a rare case of isolated pulmonary valve endocarditis with Mycobacterium abscessus in a patient with recurrent sternal infections following repeated coronary artery bypass.