What is Esophageal Manometry?
Esophageal manometry is a specialised test that measures the strength, coordination and movement of the muscles in your oesophagus — the tube that carries food and liquids from your mouth to your stomach.
A thin, flexible, pressure-sensitive catheter is gently passed through the nose and into the oesophagus. As you swallow small amounts of liquid, the catheter records how effectively the muscles and sphincters of the oesophagus are working.
The test provides detailed information that cannot be obtained from an endoscopy alone and can help your gastroenterologist identify disorders affecting swallowing and oesophageal movement.
Why Esophageal Manometry is done
Your gastroenterologist may recommend esophageal manometry to investigate:
- Difficulty swallowing food or liquids
- Pain when swallowing
- Unexplained chest discomfort not caused by heart disease
- Regurgitation or food coming back up after swallowing
- Suspected achalasia or other oesophageal motility disorders
- Oesophageal spasms
- Persistent symptoms that require further investigation
- Oesophageal function before certain anti-reflux or oesophageal procedures
Manometry may also be performed before pH and impedance monitoring to help determine the correct position for the reflux-monitoring catheter.
How to prepare
Your care team will give you specific instructions before your appointment. These may include:
- Avoid eating or drinking for the period specified before your test
- Tell us about all medications you are currently taking
- Follow any instructions about medications that may need to be temporarily stopped
- Let us know about previous oesophageal or stomach surgery
- Bring your referral and any relevant previous endoscopy, imaging or test results
Do not stop prescription medication unless your doctor or care team specifically instructs you to do so.
During the test & your results
A thin catheter is gently passed through your nose and positioned in your oesophagus. You will then be asked to swallow small amounts of liquid while the equipment measures the pressure and coordination of your oesophageal muscles.
The test does not normally require sedation. You may notice some temporary pressure or discomfort in the nose or throat while the catheter is being positioned.
Once the measurements are complete, the catheter is removed. Your gastroenterologist will review the results and explain whether your swallowing muscles and oesophageal sphincters are functioning normally and whether further investigation or treatment is recommended.
