Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42168608›Full record

ArticleSurgical endoscopy2026

Five-year follow-up results of the Italian case-control study comparing poem and laparoscopic Heller myotomy using the propensity score.

Andrea Costantini, Francesca Mangiola, Giovanni Capovilla, Rosario Landi, Luca Provenzano, Loredana Nicoletti, Michele Valmasoni, Cristiano Spada, Mario Costantini, Pietro Familiari and 1 more

Erratum issuedAbstract readComparative StudyMulticenter Study
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Surgical endoscopy, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. An erratum has been issued. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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0citing papers in PubMed
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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

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

11 authors.

Andrea CostantiniDepartment of Surgical, Oncological and Gastroenterological Sciences, University of Padua, Padua, Italy. andrycostantini91@gmail.com.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0002-2795-1810
Francesca MangiolaDigestive Endoscopy Unit, Fondazione Policlinico Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy.
Giovanni CapovillaDepartment of Surgical, Oncological and Gastroenterological Sciences, University of Padua, Padua, Italy.
Rosario LandiDigestive Endoscopy Unit, Fondazione Policlinico Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy.
Luca ProvenzanoDepartment of Surgical, Oncological and Gastroenterological Sciences, University of Padua, Padua, Italy.
Loredana NicolettiDepartment of Surgical, Oncological and Gastroenterological Sciences, University of Padua, Padua, Italy.
Michele ValmasoniDepartment of Surgical, Oncological and Gastroenterological Sciences, University of Padua, Padua, Italy.
Cristiano SpadaDigestive Endoscopy Unit, Fondazione Policlinico Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy.
Mario CostantiniDepartment of Surgical, Oncological and Gastroenterological Sciences, University of Padua, Padua, Italy.
Pietro FamiliariDigestive Endoscopy Unit, Fondazione Policlinico Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy.
Renato SalvadorDepartment of Surgical, Oncological and Gastroenterological Sciences, University of Padua, Padua, Italy.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundAll studies in the literature comparing POEM and laparoscopic Heller-Dor fundoplication (LHD) for achalasia are limited by a short follow-up. The aim of the study was to reassess the patients of our study at a minimum 5-year follow-up.

methodsTwo groups of consecutive patients undergoing treatment for primary achalasia between 2014 and 2017 were recruited in two high-volume centers, one with extensive experience with POEM and one with LHD, and were matched with a propensity score. Only those patients who reached a minimum 5-year follow-up were considered in this study.

resultsA total of 68 patients in the POEM group and 118 in the LHD formed the study population. One patient in each group died during follow-up for causes unrelated to achalasia. At a median follow-up of 79.6 months (IQR 42.1-103.95), 87.3% of the POEM patients and 90.1% of the LHD patients showed an Eckardt score ≤ 3 (p = n.s.). The need for PPIs (45.6% vs 24.6%, p = 0.03) and the rate of esophagitis (34% vs 10.4%, p < 0.002) were higher in the POEM group. None of the patients developed esophageal cancer. The disease-free curve estimates at 1-3-5 years were similar in the 2 groups (99-98-96% vs 99-96-96%, p = 0.50). At a minimum 5-year follow-up, only 9 patients in the POEM group and 12 patients in the LHD group had symptomatic recurrence.

conclusionPOEM provides the same long-term results as LHD. This study confirms, however, a higher incidence of postoperative GERD with the former, even if its real significance needs to be further evaluated.

Indexed as

Esophageal AchalasiaFundoplicationHeller MyotomyLaparoscopyAdultAgedCase-Control StudiesFemaleFollow-Up StudiesHumansItalyMaleMiddle AgedPostoperative ComplicationsPropensity ScoreTreatment OutcomeAchalasiaFollow-upLHDPOEMPropensity score matching

Identifiers

PMID42168608
PMCPMC13368882

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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.