Balloon or scope? new trial seeks best fix for Kids' swallowing problem
NCT ID NCT07167355
First seen Jun 26, 2026 · Last updated Jun 26, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study will compare two procedures—balloon dilation and per oral endoscopic myotomy (POEM)—in 70 children aged 3–17 with achalasia cardia, a condition where the esophagus can't push food into the stomach. Children will be randomly assigned to one procedure, and if it fails, they can switch to the other. The goal is to see which approach better relieves symptoms like trouble swallowing and chest pain over one year.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Balloon dilation and per oral endoscopic myotomy (POEM)
- What this could lead to
- If this trial succeeds, it could provide clear evidence on which procedure is safer and more effective for children with achalasia, helping guide treatment decisions.
- What could go wrong
- This is a relatively small trial (70 children) and results may not apply to all cases. Both procedures carry risks like perforation or reflux, and one may not be clearly better than the other.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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About 70 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Expected to start
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Sep 2025
An estimate. Start dates often move.
- Expected to finish
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Jul 2028
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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3 to 17 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: -\> All children of age 3-17 years diagnosed as a case of achalasia cardia Exclusion Criteria: * Children who had previously underwent BD, LHM or POEM * Type 3 achalasia cardia. In children in whom HRM is not possible, if symptoms or barium oesophagogram is classical of type 3 achalasia, they will be excluded. * Prior history of oesophageal or gastric surgery * Coagulopathy * Alternative diagnosis
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
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