The Canadian POEM Experience: The First 50 Patients

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Peroral endoscopic myotomy (POEM) has emerged as a less invasive technique for performing myotomy in patients with achalasia. This study aims to assess the safety and efficacy of POEM in a Canadian tertiary care center. METHODS: All consecutive patients who underwent POEM between March 2016 and May 2018 at a tertiary center were included. The primary outcome of the study was clinical success rate of POEM defined as a post-POEM Eckardt score ≤3 at ≥3 months. Adverse events were recorded according to the Clavien-Dindo grading system. RESULTS: A total of 50 consecutive patients underwent 51 POEM procedures with a mean procedure length of 85.6 ± 29.6 min. Post-POEM Eckardt scores of ≤3 at ≥3 months was achieved in 98% of patients. The incidence of pathologic reflux post-poem was 23%. The median length of hospital stay was 1 day. No major adverse events occurred. INTERPRETATION: POEM is a safe and effective procedure for the treatment of achalasia. At a median follow-up of 19.5 months, 98% of patients had sustained clinical response (Eckardt score ≤3).