Techniques and efficacy of flexible endoscopic therapy of Zenker’s diverticulum

Abstract

Zenker’s diverticulum (ZD) is an abnormal hypopharyngeal pouch often presenting with dysphagia. Treatment is often sought with invasive surgical management of the diverticulum being the only mode of definitive therapy. Primarily done by an open transcervical approach in the past, nowadays treatment is usually provided by otolaryngologists using a less invasive trans-oral technique with a rigid endoscope. When first described, this method grew into acceptance quickly due to its similar efficacy and vastly improved safety profile compared to the open transcervical approach. However, the main limitation with this approach is that it may not be suitable for all patients. Nonetheless, progress in the field of natural orifice endoscopic surgery over the last 10-20 years has led to the increase in utilization of the flexible endoscope in the treatment of ZD. Primarily performed by interventional gastroenterologists, this approach overcomes the prior limitation of its surgical counterpart and allows adequate visualization of the diverticulum independent of the patient’s body habitus. Additionally, it may be performed without the use of general anesthesia and in an outpatient setting, thus further increasing the utility of this modality, especially in elderly patients with other comorbidities. Today, results in more than 600 patients have been described in various published case series using different techniques and devices demonstrating a high percentage of clinical symptom resolution with low rates of adverse events. In this article, we present our experience with flexible endoscopic therapy of Zenker’s diverticulum and highlight the endoscopic technique, outcomes and adverse events related to this minimally invasive modality.

Keywords: Zenker’s diverticulum, Flexible endoscopy, Natural orifice endoscopic surgery, Per-oral endoscopy, Dysphagia, Cricopharyngeus myotomy, Cricopharyngeus septotomy

Core tip: Definitive therapy for Zenker’s diverticulum (ZD) typically includes either diverticulectomy or myotomy/septotomy of the cricopharyngeus muscle. Previously done as an open transcervical approach by surgeons, treatment has now evolved to include a minimally invasive trans-oral approach with flexible endoscopy performed by gastroenterologists. In this article we highlight our experience with flexible endoscopic therapy of ZD at our institution, describe commonly used flexible endoscopic techniques and devices, and assess efficacy and safety data related to this minimally invasive modality.