Diffuse esophageal spasm: the surgical approach

Diffuse esophageal spasm (DES) is a rare primary motility disorder of unknown cause, that can be found in patients complaining of chest pain and dysphagia and in whom ischemic heart disease and GERD have been excluded. The manometric hallmark of DES is the presence of simultaneous contractions in the distal esophagus alternating with a normal peristalsis. Even at specialized esophageal motility laboratories, DES is considered an uncommon diagnosis. In this review, the authors discuss the clinical and diagnostic aspects of this disease, as well as the possible therapeutic options (medical, endoscopic or surgical therapy). Surgery (esophageal myotomy performed through a thoracotomy or with a thoracoscopic access) seems to have a better outcome than medical or endoscopic treatment, and it is considered the last resource in these patients. However, satisfactory results are reported, from highly skilled centers, in only about 70% of treated cases, certainly inferior to those achieved in other esophageal disorders. The role of surgery in this disease requires therefore further study, even if controlled trials are probably difficult to perform, due to the rarity of the disease.