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Sentara Obici Hospital
Heartburn Treatment Center:
Testing & Diagnostic Services
Obici’s Heartburn Treatment Center offers the latest diagnostic options including:
Barium Swallow
A barium Swallow is a series of x-ray films that reveal your upper digestive tract in action. As you swallow a barium milk shake, x-rays monitor the barium dye while it travels to your stomach, capturing any reflux action on film. The x-rays may also show whether you have a hiatal hernia. You should not eat or drink anything for 6 to 8 hours before taking this brief, painless test.
Esophageal Endoscopy
Esophageal endoscopy is a test that sends light and images to a video screen from an endoscope (tiny, flexible tube) that you swallow. This lets the doctor see if there are any problems as the scope moves from the throat, through the LES, and into the stomach. This test will help your doctor rule out problems such as ulcers. Before your test, you will be given a sedative. Your throat may be sprayed with an anesthetic. This makes it easier to swallow the lubricated scope. If needed, your doctor may take a sample of tissue, called a biopsy. Do not eat or drink anything for 6 to 8 hours before the test.
Esophageal Manometry
If surgery is a possibility for you, esophageal manometry may be used to measure the muscle tone of the LES and to tailor the surgical procedure to you. This test also shows how well the esophagus squeezes food along. Your nose and throat will be numbed with an anesthetic to make it easier to swallow a lubricated tube. The flexible tube is then gently guided from your nose into your stomach. Water is passed through the tube. Measurements are taken as the tube is slowly withdrawn from your stomach into the esophagus. You must not eat anything for 8 to 12 hours before this test, which takes about 30 minutes. You may have a slightly sore throat after the test.
24 hr. pH Study
Your doctor may ask you to undergo a pH monitoring test. A thin, acid-measuring probe is placed in your esophagus for up to 24 hours to record how much acid washes back from your stomach into your esophagus. Antacids may be used to control symptoms before and during the test, but avoid stronger medications because they may affect the accuracy of the test.
Ultrasound of Gallbladder
To rule out problems with your gallbladder, such as gallstones, a painless ultrasound test may be performed. Ultrasound uses high-frequency sound waves to create images on a screen as your abdomen is scanned for gallstones.
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