Surgery (myotomy) — Myotomy is an operation that is used to weaken the LES by cutting its muscle fibers. The most common surgical technique used to treat achalasia is called the Heller myotomy, in which the surgeon cuts the muscles at the end of the esophagus and at the top of the stomach. In the past, this surgery was performed through a large (open) incision in the chest or abdomen. Today, this surgery is usually performed laparoscopically, using instruments and a television camera that are passed into the abdomen through small abdominal incisions. People who undergo laparoscopic myotomy are given general anesthesia, and generally stay in the hospital for one to two days.