Chagas' achalasia treated by a jejunal interposed segment.

Resection of the achalasic area and replacement by a segment of jejunal loop, associated with vagotomy and pyloroplasty, has been performed in 21 patients. The majority of these patients had Chagas' disease, with a dilated esophagus wider than 7 cm. This surgical procedure offered symptomatic relief in 20 of our 21 cases. One patient died, but the death was not necessarily related to the operation. Although disphagia and regurgitation did not disappear entirely in all cases the decrease in severity of these symptoms was such to allow the few symptomatic patients to lead an entirely normal life after the operation.