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Laser surgery for Zenker’s diverticulum: European combined study

  • Head and Neck
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Abstract

Surgical intervention is the gold standard of treatment for Zenker’s diverticulum. The aim of this study was to examine the role of laser surgery in a large number of patients with this pathological entity. The data of 91 consecutive patients treated due to Zenker’s diverticulum with the aid of CO2 laser in three institutions (Homburg/Saar and Marburg, Germany/Athens, Greece) during the last 10 years were retrospectively analyzed. Parameters examined were sex, age, preoperative symptoms, length of operation and complications, revision surgery necessity and degree of patient satisfaction. All patients had a minimum follow-up of one year. Dysphagia was the most common preoperative symptom (78 %). The most common minor complication was dental injury (6.6 %), but a serious complication in form of emphysema was observed in only two patients (2.2 %). A surgical revision was necessary in 8 (8.8 %) of the treated patients. The majority of treated patients was free of symptoms (86.8 %), or presented mild symptoms (9.9 %) one year after intervention, and only three patients (3.3 %) were dissatisfied. Our study shows that laser treatment of Zenker’s diverticulum is an efficient operative technique associated with low complications rates and significant improvement of patients’ symptoms in most of the examined cases.

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There is no financial support. There is no conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Otorhinolaryngology, University Medical Centre, Kirrberger Straße, Homburg/Saar, 66421, Germany

    Giorgos Papaspyrou, Bernhard Schick & Basel Al Kadah

  2. Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Evangelismos Hospital, Athens, Greece

    Spyros Papaspyrou

  3. Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany

    Susanne Wiegand

Authors
  1. Giorgos Papaspyrou
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  2. Bernhard Schick
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  3. Spyros Papaspyrou
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  4. Susanne Wiegand
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  5. Basel Al Kadah
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Correspondence to Giorgos Papaspyrou.

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Papaspyrou, G., Schick, B., Papaspyrou, S. et al. Laser surgery for Zenker’s diverticulum: European combined study. Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol 273, 183–188 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00405-014-3486-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00405-014-3486-4

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