Flexible endoscopic treatment of Zenker's diverticulum: a retrospective study in a single center from Turkey.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: We aimed to contribute to the literature by sharing the findings of patients treated by cricopharyngeal myotomy with a flexible endoscopic septal division.

METHODS

This retrospective study included patients with Zenker's diverticulum who underwent cricopharyngeal myotomy with a traditional flexible endoscopic septal division at our center. Clinical success was defined as a significant reduction in dysphagia score, and relapse was defined as an increase in dysphagia score occurring at any time over 1 month after the procedure.

RESULTS

Fifteen patients with symptomatic Zenker's diverticulum were treated with 16 cricopharyngeal myotomies. A dysphagia score of 100% indicated clinical success, but three (20%) of the patients experienced recurrence during follow-up.

CONCLUSIONS

While advances in interventional flexible endoscopy have opened doors for novel treatments, cricopharyngeal myotomy based on traditional flexible endoscopic septal division remains a reliable approach for treating Zenker's diverticulum.