Abstract
The development of achalasia in patients with a prior Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) is rare and it often remains unclear whether the esophageal motility disorder is a pre-existing condition in the obese patient or develops de novo after the procedure. The aim of this study was to review the available evidence regarding the management of patients with achalasia after a RYGB. Intra-sphincteric injection of botulinum toxin and pneumatic dilatation can be used to eliminate the functional obstruction at the level of the gastroesophageal junction. However, considering that achalasia patients after RYGB are often young and these treatment modalities have shown worse long-term outcomes, endoscopic or surgical myotomy is preferred. Per-oral endoscopic myotomy (POEM) is a very effective first line of treatment, and as RYGB is an excellent anti-reflux operation per se, post-POEM reflux may not be an issue in these patients. Laparoscopic Heller myotomy (LHM) is also an effective and safe therapy in achalasia patients with RYGB anatomy, and the gastric remnant can be safely used to perform a fundoplication to cover the myotomy. LHM and POEM are both acceptable primary treatment modalities in this setting. Further studies are needed to elucidate the pathophysiology and optimal management of patients with achalasia after RYGB.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Schlottmann F, Patti MG (2018) Esophageal achalasia: current diagnosis and treatment. Expert Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol 12(7):711–721
Nenshi R, Takata J, Stegienko S, Jacob B, Kortan P, Deitel W, Urbach DR (2010) The cost of achalasia: quantifying the effect of symptomatic disease on patient cost burden, treatment time, and work productivity. Surg Innov 17(4):291–294
Fisichella PM, Orthopoulos G, Holmstrom A, Patti MG (2015) The surgical management of achalasia in the morbid obese patient. J Gastrointest Surg 19(6):1139–1143
Jaffin BW, Knoepflmacher P, Greenstein R (1999) High prevalence of asymptomatic esophageal motility disorders among morbidly obese patients. Obes Surg 9:390–395
Shah RN, Izanec JL, Friedel DM, Axelrod P, Parkman HP, Fisher RS (2004) Achalasia presenting after operative and nonoperative trauma. Dig Dis Sci 49:1818–1821
Boules M, Corcelles R, Zelisko A, Batayyah E, Froylich D, Rodriguez J, Kroh M (2016) Achalasia after bariatric surgery. J Laparoendosc Adv Surg Tech A 26(6):428–432
Robert M, Golse N, Espalieu P, Poncet G, Mion F, Roman S, Gouillat C (2012) Achalasia-like disorder after laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding: a reversible side effect? Obes Surg 22(5):704–711
Khan A, Ren-Fielding C, Traube M (2011) Potentially reversible pseudoachalasia after laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding. J Clin Gastroenterol 45(9):775–779
Schrumpf E, Giercksky KE, Nygaard K, Fausa O (1981) Gastrin secretion before and after gastric bypass surgery for morbid obesity. Scand J Gastroenterol 16(6):721–725
Ghanimeh MA, Qasrawi A, Abughanimeh O, Albadarin S (2017) Clarkston W Achalasia after bariatric Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery reversal. World J Gastroenterol 23(37):6902–6906
Pandolfino JE, Gawron AJ (2015) Achalasia: a systematic review. JAMA 313(18):1841–1852
Ates F, Vaezi MF (2015) The pathogenesis and management of achalasia: current status and future directions. Gut Liver 9(4):449–463
Inoue H, Minami H, Kobayashi Y et al (2010) Peroral endoscopic myotomy (POEM) for esophageal achalasia. Endoscopy 42:265–271
Schlottmann F, Luckett DJ, Fine J, Shaheen NJ, Patti MG (2018) Laparoscopic Heller myotomy versus peroral endoscopic myotomy (POEM) for achalasia: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Ann Surg 267(3):451–460
Sanaei O, Draganov P, Kunda R, Yang D, Khashab M (2018) Peroral endoscopic myotomy for the treatment of achalasia patients with Roux-en-Y gastric bypass anatomy. Endoscopy 51:342–345
Rebecchi F, Giaccone C, Farinella E, Campaci R, Morino M (2008) Randomized controlled trial of laparoscopic Heller myotomy plus Dor fundoplication versus Nissen fundoplication for achalasia: long-term results. Ann Surg 248(6):1023–1030
Ramos AC, Murakami A, Lanzarini EG, Neto MG, Galvão M (2009) Achalasia and laparoscopic gastric bypass. Surg Obes Relat Dis 5:132–134
Klaus A, Weiss H (2008) Is preoperative manometry in restrictive bariatric procedures necessary? Obes Surg 18:1039–1042
Chapman R, Rotundo A, Carter N, George J, Jenkinson A, Adamo M (2013) Laparoscopic Heller’s myotomy for achalasia after gastric bypass: a case report. Int J Surg Case Rep 4(4):396–398
Torghabeh MH, Afaneh C, Saif T, Dakin GF (2015) Achalasia 5 years following Roux-en-Y gastric bypass. J Min Access Surg 11:203–204
Bashir U, El Abiad R, Gerke H, Keech J, Parekh K, Nau P (2019) Peroral endoscopic myotomy is feasible and safe in a gastric bypass population. Surg Obes. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11695-019-04026-9
Luo RB, Montalvo D, Horgan S (2017) Peroral endoscopic myotomy after gastric bypass: an effective solution for de novo achalasia. Surg Obes Relat Dis 13(2):1–3
Masrur M, Gonzalez-Ciccarelli LF, Giulianotti PC (2016) Robotic Heller myotomy for achalasia after laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric by-pass: a case report and literature review. Surg Obes Relat Dis 12(9):1755–1757
Birriel TJ, Claros L, Chaar ME (2017) Laparoscopic Heller myotomy after previous Roux-en-Y gastric by-pass. Surg Obes Relat Dis 13(11):1927–1928
Nguyen D, Dip F, Lo Menzo E et al (2016) Heller oesophagomyotomy as treatment for achalasia after gastric bypass for morbid obesity. Ann R Coll Surg Engl 98(1):e3–e5
Johnson WD, Marshall MB (2016) Surgical management of achalasia in a patient with previous gastric bypass. Innovations (Phila) 11(3):214–216
Yang D, Draganov PV (2014) Peroral endoscopic myotomy (POEM) for achalasia after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass. Endoscopy 46(Suppl 1):E11
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Conflict of interest
María A. Casas declares that she has no conflict of interest. Francisco Schlottmann declares that he has no conflict of interest. Fernando A.M Herbella declares that he has no conflict of interest. Rudolf Buxhoeveden declares that he has no conflict of interest. Marco G. Patti declares that he has no conflict of interest.
Human and animal rights
This study does not contain any studies with human participants performed by any of the authors.
Informed consent
No informed consent was needed for this review article.
Additional information
Publisher's Note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Casas, M.A., Schlottmann, F., Herbella, F.A.M. et al. Esophageal achalasia after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass for morbid obesity. Updates Surg 71, 631–635 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13304-019-00688-3
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13304-019-00688-3