Per-Oral Endoscopic Myotomy (POEM)

UAB Med Cast

Achalasia is an esophageal condition that makes eating miserable for patients. It is often misdiagnosed as GERD. Kristen Wong, M.D., a gastrointestinal surgeon, and Sergio Sanchez-Luna, M.D., a gastroenterologist, discuss POEM, a new minimally invasive technique of treating achalasia without incisions. Learn about how this technique results in comparable outcomes to the traditional surgical procedure for achalasia with distinct advantages in patient quality of life. The doctors discuss the importance of surgeon experience, patient selection, and transparency about side effects when offering this procedure.