This paper presents 6 cases of esophageal achalasia treated with only modified Heller´s myotomy
through transthoracic approaches in 4 cases, and tranabodimal approaches in 2 cases, for the past 10
years from Jan. 1961 to Jun. 1971 at Presbyterian Medical Center.
1. The age distribution was limited to young people ranging from 22 to 34 years of age.
2. The sex ratio of women to men was 3 : 3 in this series.
3. The most common and constant clinical symptom was dysphagia and regurgitation, varying in
its duration from 8 months to 7 years.
4. The additional operations combined with Heller´s modified myotomy to prevent postoperative
reflux esophagitis were esophagofundopexy in 2 cases, vagotomy and pylotoplasty in another 2 cases.
5. In all cases, except for one case lost its follow up, the results were excellent, the longstanding
obstructive symptoms to be relieved almost completely, in the follow up study for 1 month to 8
months.
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