Scintigraphy, radiography, and acid clearing in dysphagia patients after anti-reflux surgery

Oesophageal emptying was studied with scintigraphy, radiography, and the acid clearing test (ACT) in 18 patients reporting dysphagia and previously operated on with fundoplication. Radiography with contrast medium, isodense with water, revealed abnormalities in either motility or emptying capacity in 39% (7/18). A A barium meal showed abnormalities--that is, a tight repair, disruption of the fundoplication, or recurrence of the hernia--in 56% (10/18). The ACT was prolonged in 40% (6/15) of the patients. Pathological findings at scintigraphy with a solid bolus were found in 67% (12/18). Even if scintigraphy with a solid bolus is the method that identifies the highest number of patients with impaired oesophageal function among the tests used, it cannot differentiate between functional and anatomical disorders. A barium meal examination is the method of choice when an anatomical disorder is suspected.