Esophageal Manometry (muh-NOM-uh-tree) is a test that gauges how well your Esophagus works. Essentially this study is used to evaluate the movement (motility) of food through the Esophagus and into the stomach. Your Esophagus is the long, muscular tube that connects your throat to your stomach. This test will also measure how well the circular bands of muscle (sphincters) at the top and bottom of your Esophagus open and close, as well as the pressure, strength and pattern of the wave of Esophageal muscle contractions that moves food along.

Your doctor may recommend Esophageal Manometry if you’re experiencing symptoms that could be related to an Esophageal disorder. Those symptoms may include:

  • Difficulty swallowing (Dysphagia)
  • Pain when swallowing (Odynophagia)

During an Esophageal Manometry test, a thin, flexible tube (catheter) that contains sensors is passed gently through your nose, down your Esophagus and into your stomach. Esophageal Manometry can be helpful in diagnosing some mostly uncommon disorders that affect your Esophagus.

Picture: Comprehensive Manometric data from pharynx to stomach using leading edge HRiM technology

Reflex Monitoring pH/Impedance Study

The 24 Hour pH/Impedance Study is a test done to detect Reflux activity using pH/impedance probe. Since this test provides statistical analysis regarding symptom associations, it allows for the detection of both acid and nonacid Reflux in patients with refractory GERD while on or off acid-suppressive therapy. For those patients who experience symptoms such as cough, heartburn, regurgitation and chest pain are often difficult to diagnose so the use of this monitoring system employs Impedance to detect ALL Reflux activity and uses pH to categorize each episode as acid or nonacid for Total Reflux Monitoring. Comprehensive analysis by the provider quantifies all Reflux patterns and symptom associations in patients studied.

If you would like more information regarding Esophageal Motility Studies, please contact us to schedule an appointment.