EndoFLIP® in the functional evaluation of the gastrointestinal tract: Current status and clinical perspectives

Endoluminal functional lumen imaging probe (EndoFLIP®) is a device that uses high-resolution impedance planimetry to measure the cross-sectional area of the gastrointestinal tract along an axial plane. It enables the biomechanical properties of the gastrointestinal wall and the functional dynamics of the sphincters to be evaluated. Its clinical indications include the assessment of nonobstructive esophageal dysphagia and the preoperative and postoperative evaluation of antireflux surgery and achalasia, as well as its application in gastroparesis and fecal incontinence. Recent evidence suggests that EndoFLIP may serve as a screening tool for the detection of esophageal motility disorders during endoscopy in patients with nonobstructive dysphagia and appears to predict response to therapies aimed at reducing pyloric sphincter resistance in gastroparesis.