Long-term symptom control after endoscopic laser-assisted diverticulotomy of Zenker's diverticulum.

Objective: To assess the long-term outcome after endoscopic laser-assisted diverticulotomy.

Methods: The medical files of patients who underwent endoscopic Zenker's diverticulum (ZD) surgery were reviewed retrospectively. Patients were interviewed using a questionnaire which assessed symptoms, other relevant disorders and satisfaction after the surgery.

Results: Mean follow-up period from 62 surgeries was 100 months (range 11-216 months). Follow-up data were obtained from 34 patients (response rate: 55%) in total. The surgery resulted in a significant reduction of symptoms (regurgitation, dysphagia and globus sensation). In four cases (12%) a postoperative impairment of swallowing solid food was reported, whereas, persisted difficulty of swallowing liquids was observed in two patients (6%). There was no reported case of impairment associated with everyday habits. The majority of patients were satisfied with the overall outcome of the surgery (n=31, 91%).

Conclusion: The endoscopic laser-assisted diverticulotomy is an effective method of treating Zenker's diverticulum. The presented long-term results confirm that this technique offers a very high degree of symptom relief and patient's satisfaction.