Open surgery for Zenker's diverticulum

Open surgery for Zenker's diverticulum (ZD) continues to be a mainstay of treatment for this disorder. Details of the authors' approach are outlined below. Although endoscopic surgery for ZD appears to feature shorter operative times compared with open ZD surgery, longer term outcomes trend toward somewhat higher recurrence rate after endoscopic treatment. There is no direct comparison research, and no conclusions regarding overall treatment success can be drawn. Patients should seek out a surgeon well-versed in both open and endoscopic approaches; ideally, the surgeon should present the patient with options based on his/her experience, knowledge, and the collective experience in the field. If every patient is managed in the same manner, it is likely that a disservice is being done.