Table 1.
Characteristics of 162 patients who underwent esophagomyotomy for achalasia at UCSF 1996–2009
| Characteristic | All 162 patients | 118 patients <60 years | 44 patients ≥60 years | P value* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mean age, yr (range) | 48 (14–93) | 40 (14–59) | 69 (60–93) | <0.01 |
| Mean duration of symptoms, mo (SD) | 83 (128) | 75 (109) | 107 (168) | 0.71 |
| Race | ||||
| Asian | 12 | 10 | 2 | 0.65 |
| Black | 10 | 9 | 1 | |
| Hispanic | 12 | 10 | 2 | |
| White | 106 | 73 | 33 | |
| Other or unknown | 22 | 16 | 6 | |
| Gender | ||||
| Male | 71 | 54 | 17 | 0.48 |
| Female | 91 | 64 | 27 | |
| Clinical history | ||||
| Food impaction requiring upper endoscopy | 5 | 4 | 1 | 1.00 |
| Weight loss >10 lb | 61 | 40 | 21 | 0.54 |
| Manometry | ||||
| LES pressure >25 mmHg (%) | 46% | 48% | 41% | 0.54 |
| LES relaxation absent | 45% | 49% | 38% | 0.54 |
| Distal esophageal amplitude, mmHg (mean ± SD) | 30 ± 32 | 29 ± 32 | 32 ± 34 | 0.91 |
| Esophageal diameter (cm) | ||||
| <4 | 34% | 32% | 42% | 0.73 |
| 4–6 | 37% | 40% | 26% | |
| >6 | 29% | 28% | 32% | |
| Previous treatment with balloon dilation | 45% | 41% | 55% | 0.15 |
| Previous treatment with botulinum toxin | 19% | 20% | 18% | 1.00 |
| Previous surgical esophagomyotomy | 10% | 14% | 0% | <0.01 |
| Preoperative symptom scores | ||||
| Dysphagia (mean ± SD) | 3.8 ± 0.5 | 3.9 ± 0.4 | 3.6 ± 0.7 | <0.01 |
| Regurgitation (mean ± SD) | 3.1 ± 1.3 | 3.2 ± 1.3 | 3.0 ± 1.3 | 0.20 |
| Heartburn (mean ± SD) | 1.9 ± 1.7 | 2.0 ± 1.6 | 1.6 ± 1.8 | 0.16 |
| Chest pain (mean ± SD) | 1.6 ± 1.7 | 1.8 ± 1.7 | 1.0 ± 1.5 | <0.01 |
* Categorical variables were compared between groups with Fisher’s exact test. Ordinal variables were compared with the Mann–Whitney test