Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40828004›Full record

ArticleThe Laryngoscope2026

Dysphagia Outcomes in Zenker Diverticulum: A Longitudinal POuCH Study.

Ari D Schuman, Mallory McKeon, Jacqui Allen, Mekibib Altaye, Milan R Amin, Semirra L Bayan, Peter C Belafsky, Jonathan M Bock, Brad W DeSilva, Greg Dion and 21 more

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in The Laryngoscope, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

31 authors.

Ari D SchumanDepartment of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA.ORCID 0000-0003-1373-7338
Mallory McKeonDepartment of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of Cincinnati Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA.
Jacqui AllenDepartment of Otolaryngology, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-3302-7045
Mekibib AltayeDepartment of Pediatrics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA.
Milan R AminDepartment of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, New York University, New York, New York, USA.
Semirra L BayanDepartment of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Mayo Cinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA.
Peter C BelafskyDepartment of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of California Davis, Sacramento, California, USA.ORCID 0000-0003-0288-2839
Jonathan M BockDepartment of Otolaryngology and Communication Sciences, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-4367-7527
Brad W DeSilvaDepartment of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, The Ohio State University Medical Center, Columbus, Ohio, USA.ORCID 0000-0003-0842-9744
Greg DionDepartment of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of Cincinnati Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA.ORCID 0000-0003-4389-3104
Dale C EkbomDepartment of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Mayo Cinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA.ORCID 0000-0001-8770-8463
Aaron D FriedmanDepartment of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of Cincinnati Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA.
Mark FritzDepartment of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, USA.ORCID 0000-0001-6008-1533
Elizabeth A GuardianiDepartment of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of Maryland, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
Christopher JohnsonDepartment of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta, Georgia, USA.ORCID 0000-0003-4934-8836
Jan KasperbauerDepartment of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Mayo Cinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA.ORCID 0000-0003-2345-1157
Brandon KimDepartment of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, The Ohio State University Medical Center, Columbus, Ohio, USA.
Brittany N KrekelerDepartment of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of Cincinnati Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA.ORCID 0000-0003-0469-9181
Maggie KuhnDepartment of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of California Davis, Sacramento, California, USA.
Paul KwakDepartment of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, New York University, New York, New York, USA.
Yue MaDepartment of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA.ORCID 0000-0003-1758-3276
Lyndsay L MaddenDepartment of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA.ORCID 0000-0001-6350-0086
Laura MatrkaDepartment of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, The Ohio State University Medical Center, Columbus, Ohio, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-9558-5202
Ross M MayerhoffDepartment of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Henry Ford Health System, Detroit, Michigan, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-3262-4737
Cyrus PirakaDepartment of Internal Medicine, Henry Ford Health System, Detroit, Michigan, USA.
Clark RosenDepartment of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA.ORCID 0000-0003-1571-1086
Meredith TabanginDepartment of Pediatrics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA.ORCID 0000-0003-4300-5146
Keith WilsonDepartment of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of Cincinnati Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA.
Vyvy N YoungDepartment of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-3095-8290
Gregory PostmaDepartment of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta, Georgia, USA.
Rebecca J HowellDepartment of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of Cincinnati Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-5503-0325

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectivePatients with cricopharyngeus muscle dysfunction (CPMD) with and without diverticula (e.g., Zenker Diverticulum) often struggle with dysphagia for years prior to diagnosis or intervention. Surgical treatment is successful; yet, there is limited long-term data on dysphagia outcomes after surgery.

methodsIndividuals prospectively enrolled in the Prospective Outcomes of Cricopharyngeal Hypertonicity (POuCH) collaborative with and without diverticula who underwent surgery from November 2014 to August 2024 and had at least 12 months of follow-up were included. Eating Assessment Tool 10 (EAT10) was used to characterize patient-reported outcomes. Descriptive statistics were performed using means, frequencies, and spaghetti plots.

resultsOf 164 patients initially identified, 2 withdrew and 2 were excluded for incomplete data; 160 were included. 31% were women, with a mean (SD) age of 70.1 (11.5). Endoscopic surgery (113, 71%) was more common than open technique (47, 29%). 19.4% of patients had undergone previous surgery. Postoperatively, patients were found to have improved EAT-10 scores, with smaller changes recorded after 36 months. Median change in EAT-10 compared to preoperative score was -12 points [IQR: -18, -5] at 12 months. 39 (24%) patients were followed for > 24 months (median change -11 [IQR: -14, -7]); 26 (16%) > 36 months (-9.5 [-17, -5]), and 12 (7.5%) > 48 months (-4 [IQR: -18, 4]). Six patients died during the study period.

conclusionImproved dysphagia after surgery appears stable with minimal change over time. Most patients (96.3%) survive at least 1 year. Surgical intervention for patients with CPMD with or without diverticula is an effective and reliable treatment option. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 4:

Indexed as

Deglutition DisordersZenker DiverticulumAgedFemaleFollow-Up StudiesHumansLongitudinal StudiesMaleMiddle AgedPatient Reported Outcome MeasuresPharyngeal MusclesProspective StudiesTreatment Outcomequality of lifesurgical outcomesupper esophageal sphincterZenker diverticulum (ZD)

Identifiers

PMID40828004
PMCPMC12793932

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.