Edmonton's first POEM procedure

For years, eligible Albertans with swallowing disorders in the esophagus were referred out of province for non-surgical treatments. Fortunately, patients can now access a minimally invasive procedure closer to home thanks to a collaborative approach to treatment performed by a gastroenterologist and thoracic surgeon at hospitals in Edmonton and Calgary.
Edmonton resident Aumer Aasaf was scheduled in Vancouver for a peroral endoscopic myotomy (POEM) in January but cancelled when he was offered the opportunity to be the second patient to receive the treatment at the Royal Alexandra Hospital.
For years, food had become trapped in his esophagus because the muscles wouldn’t relax. Coughing and choking had become the norm for any meal, and his nights were plagued by insomnia due to choking. Aasaf says he hadn’t had a good night’s sleep in more than five years until his overnight stay in the hospital after the procedure. “It was the best sleep I had in years... My quality of life has skyrocketed.”