Impact of opioids on treatment response among idiopathic esophagogastric junction outflow obstruction patients: A retrospective cohort study

Background Esophageal dysmotility has been attributed to opioid use. The goal was to assess the differences in pre- and post-treatment timed-barium esophagram (TBE) barium heights at 1 and 5 minutes and symptomatic response to treatment in esophagogastric junction outflow obstruction (EGJOO) patients according to opioid use status. Methods We performed a retrospective cohort study. Consecutive patients with EGJOO were eligible for inclusion. Data were collected on demographics, pre and post-treatment 1 and 5 minutes TBE barium heights and symptom outcomes. Groups were compared according to opioid use. Results Thirty-one EGJOO patients met the inclusion criteria. All patients were treated with pneumatic dilation. Of the 31 patients, 11 (35%) had opioid exposure and 20 (65%) did not. The median follow-up post-treatment was two months (range 1–47 months). There was no statistically significant difference in post-treatment outcomes for opioid exposed vs. unexposed groups. The median per cent decrease in the TBE barium height at 1 minute was 100% for the opioid exposed vs. 71% for the unexposed group ( p = 0.92). The median per cent decrease in the TBE barium height at 5 minutes was zero % for the opioid exposed and unexposed groups ( p = 0.67). The incidence of symptomatic improvement was 82% (9/11) for the opioid exposed group vs 95% (19/20) for the unexposed group ( p = 0.28). Conclusions Patients with EGJOO seem to respond to treatment similarly regardless of being on opioids.