POEM Procedure

If you have difficulty swallowing due to a medical condition such as achalasia, UCI Health can offer you an alternative to surgery.

A POEM procedure can restore your ability to eat and drink without pain, regurgitation or visible scars.

Our approach to the POEM procedure

Prior to POEM, your choice of treatment options for debilitating swallowing conditions were limited to surgery, dilation or Botox® injections. Now you have the option of an endoscopic treatment known as peroral endoscopic myotomy—or the POEM Procedure.

One of our esophageal experts can prepare you for the procedure and the short hospital stay that follows. You may schedule an appointment at The UCI Health Chao Digestive Health Institute. 

Although this is not an outpatient procedure, it is drastically less invasive than standard surgery. The POEM procedure will allow you to once again swallow both soft and solid foods with no pain. 

Who is a candidate for the POEM procedure?

If you have trouble swallowing, you may be suffering from achalasia or a similar disorder and would benefit immensely from peroral endoscopic myotomy.

The first step is getting a proper diagnosis. Schedule an appointment with one of our esophageal experts. If they diagnose you with achalasia, they will work with you to schedule the POEM Procedure.

How long is recovery from a POEM procedure?

Recovery from a POEM procedure can take about a week.

In most cases, you will go home to recover from a POEM procedure after one or two days of observation. You may experience a sore throat for a few days afterwards. You can expect to be on a liquid diet for a week, soft foods for the second week and then a regular diet. 

Benefits of the POEM procedure

Undergoing the POEM procedure can dramatically reduce your difficulty swallowing, as well as provide long-term relief from chest pain, regurgitation and the weight loss that usually accompanies the inability to eat or drink comfortably.

What to expect

The POEM Procedure is a minimally-invasive treatment. 

When you schedule a POEM procedure, you will first be seen by a general gastroenterologist, who will conduct a comprehensive health screening and order testing, including X-rays and endoscopy.

A motility expert will conduct further tests, while a radiologist examines them. They will share their findings with a foregut expert and an interventional gastroenterologist, who will recommend appropriate therapies.

If the POEM procedure is recommended, you’ll be prepped with an IV to provide fluids, antibiotics and anesthesia. Our esophageal specialist uses an endoscope — a narrow tube with a light, camera and cutting tool — to cut muscles in your esophagus. This loosens and prevents them from tightening when you swallow.

Your doctor will go through the procedure step-by-step with you and answer any and all questions or concerns you may have.

What happens after my POEM procedure

After you undergo the POEM Procedure, you should expect to stay in the hospital one or two days for observation. Our doctors will give you antibiotics to prevent infection. 

The morning after the procedure, you will have a barium X-ray to make sure there is no leakage. 

We will provide liquids to drink to test your tolerance before being discharged. At home, your diet will advance to include soft and solid food, as recommended by your doctor.

Why choose UCI Health for the POEM procedure

The UCI Health Chao Digestive Health Institute is the only center in Orange County and one of only a handful on the West Coast with expertise in performing the POEM procedure. 

You will have access to a multidisciplinary team. This includes general and interventional gastroenterologists, motility experts, foregut surgeons, and medical students. They meet monthly to discuss the latest developments in their field and examine current patient cases.

Our esophageal experts are trained in the latest technology, such as the anti-reflux POEM procedure, which uses a new spiral technique.