Long-term clinical, radiological and manometric follow-up of patients with achalasia of the esophagus treated with esophagomyotomy.

Twenty adult patients with achalasia of the esophagus were treated with an anterior esophagomyotomy and fundic patch. A significant decrease in resting gastroesophageal sphincter pressure was obtained immediately after surgery (p less than 0.001). One case was lost and the rest were followed up for 34 months. Patients had no esophageal symptoms and resting gastroesophageal sphincter pressure remained in low values. Surgical procedure is an adequate and definitive treatment for this disease.