What is a Esophageal Transit Study?
A Esophageal Transit Study, also referred to as a reflux scan, investigates swallowing abnormalities.
How long does a Esophageal Transit Study Take?
This scan will take up to 4 hours.
What preparation is required for a Esophageal Transit Study?
You are required to fast from eating or drinking for 4 hours prior to the test.
Please bring your referral from the doctor, any relevant recent scans/tests, and your Medicare card.
What does a Esophageal Transit Study involve?
You will be asked to stand in front of a camera, then you will be instructed to swallow a small amount of water with a radioactive tracer mixed in. This tracer will not make you feel any different. Scan images will be taken while you are swallowing the water, they will take 2 minutes. Following these images, you will be asked to lay on the scanning bed and the camera will be placed over your chest. These images will take 30 minutes.
Following these images, you will be asked to drink a second drink of water with a slightly different radioactive tracer mixed in. This tracer will also not make you feel any different. Following this you will be given a time to return in 2-3 hours’ time for a 5-minute image to see if the tracer in the water has travelled anywhere else in the body over that time.
When are the results available?
After your scan is completed a Nuclear Medicine Physician will review your scan and write a report of the results. This report and the scan images will be sent securely electronically to your referring doctor/specialist. If you require your results to be sent to a different doctor, please advise the staff on the day of your scan.
Are there any costs for this scan?
No, your scan will be Bulk Billed. This means there is NO out of pocket cost for you if you qualify for Medicare.