| Abstract
| - From 1980 to 1990, 31 patients were treated surgically in our departmentfor esophageal diverticula: 12 Zenker's diverticula (ZD); 11 mid-thoracicdiverticula (MTD); 8 epiphrenic diverticula (ED). Cricopharyngealdysfunction was detectable in 8 of 12 ZD patients (66.6%). Cricopharyngealmyotomy with diverticulectomy was performed in all cases. There were nodeaths. Relief of dysphagia was obtained in all cases. No recurrences ofdysphagia or diverticulum were observed at a mean follow-up of 3 years. Amotility disorder was observed in 10 of 11 MTD (90.9%). An extendedesophageal myotomy with diverticulectomy was performed in 3 cases, anextended myotomy alone in 3 cases, a diverticulectomy alone in 5 cases; ananti-reflux procedure was added in 6 cases. One patient died on the 7thpostoperative day. All remaining patients were free of symptoms at a meanfollow-up of 3.2 years. A motor dysfunction was detected in all 8 EDpatients (100%). No diverticulectomy was performed. Six patients underwentHeller-Dor myotomy and 2 underwent Nissen fundoplication. There were nodeaths. Relief of symptoms was obtained in all patients, at a meanfollow-up of 3.1 years. Myotomy with diverticulectomy represents thetreatment of choice in ZD. As regards MTD and ED, the treatment of theunderlying motor disorder is the main therapeutic goal, whereasdiverticulectomy is reserved to selected patients.
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