Baseline characteristics of treated achalasia patients with (RS+) and without reflux symptoms (RS−)
| Patients with reflux symptoms (RS+) (n=19) | Patients without reflux symptoms (RS−) (n=19) | P value | |
| Sex (n (%)) | 0.73 | ||
| Male | 11 (63) | 12 (68) | |
| Female | 8 (37) | 7 (32) | |
| Age (years; mean (SD)) | 53.8 (13) | 52.7 (13.5) | 0.80 |
| BMI (kg/m2; mean (SD)) | 25.7 (4.5) | 25.7 (3.1) | 0.94 |
| Achalasia subtypes at diagnosis (n (%)) | 0.39 | ||
| Type I | 8 (42) | 5 (26) | |
| Type II | 10 (53) | 13 (69) | |
| Type III | 1 (5) | 1 (5) | |
| Disease duration (years; (mean (SD)) | 7.8 (6.9) | 8.3 (6.3) | 0.81 |
| Eckardt score (median (IQR)) | 2 (1–3) | 2 (1–2) | 0.43 |
| GORDQ (median (IQR))* | 11 (11–13) | 6 (6–7) | <0.001 |
| Achalasia treatment (n (%)) | 0.5 | ||
| Pneumodilation† | 1 (5) | 1 (5) | |
| Laparoscopic Heller’s myotomy | 5 (26) | 4 (21) | |
| Peroral endoscopic myotomy | 5 (26) | 6 (32) | |
| Pneumodilation‡ and laparoscopic Heller’s myotomy | 6 (32) | 5 (26) | |
| Pneumodilation‡ and peroral endoscopic myotomy | 2 (11) | 3 (16) | |
| PPI use (n (%)) | 19 (100) | 4 (21) | <0.001 |
| Time PPI use post-treatment (months; (median (IQR)) | 41 (19–82) | 0 (0–4) | <0.001 |
*GORD-Q: gastro-oesophageal reflux disease questionnaire, range 0–18, score ≥8 was highly suggestive for presence of GORD.
†Pneumodilation up till 35 mm balloon.
‡Pneumodilation up till 40 mm balloon.
BMI, body mass index; GORDQ, Gastro-Oesophageal Reflux Disease Questionnaire; PPI, proton pump inhibitor.