Proficiency in Esophageal Peroral Endoscopic Myotomy: A Meta-Analysis of Learning Curves.
J Clin GastroenterolSep 1, 2026 (epub)
Yizhong Wu, Alexander Grieme, Manuel Garza et al.
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In 30 seconds
This meta-analysis evaluated the learning curve of peroral endoscopic myotomy (POEM) across 3197 procedures. It found that proficiency in procedure speed was achieved during the 20-40 phase of learning, with mean procedure times decreasing from 99.4 minutes in the initial phase to 87.4 minutes and 85.4 minutes in subsequent phases. The study utilized data from eleven studies.
Key findings
- Mean procedure time decreased from 99.4 minutes in the 0-20 phase to 87.4 minutes in the 20-40 phase.
- No significant difference in procedure time was observed between the 20-40 and 40-60 phases (P = 0.69).
- Mean number of procedures to achieve proficiency was 33.29.
- Mean plateau procedure time post-proficiency was 80.25 minutes.
Why it matters
Understanding the learning curve for POEM is crucial for training programs, as it informs the number of procedures required for proficiency and helps optimize training efficiency.