title: Results of the treatment of achalasia by pneumatic dilatation.
abstract: Thirty-three patients treated at the Karolinska Hospital for achalasia of the esophagus during the period 1968--78 have been reexamined. Twenty-eight of these patients underwent pneumatic dilatation. Excellent and good results were obtained in 79% of cases; in 21% the result was considered poor. In 2 cases the esophagus was perforated during dilatation--a perforation rate of 5% of the total number of dilatations. In 6 cases the lower sphincteric pressure was calculated before and after dilatation. It was found to be higher than normal, preoperatively, but reduced to a near-normal value postoperatively.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000399:Air Pressure; D002648:Child; D004106:Dilatation; D004931:Esophageal Achalasia / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D004943:Esophagogastric Junction / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies