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The role of oesophageal manometry in Upper GI surgery

Description 
Oesophageal function is complex and various methods have been developed to assess this. Oesophageal manometry, which involves synchronous recording of intraluminal pressure at rest and during swallowing has evolved into the gold standard for assessing dysphagia symptoms. A normal standard has evolved. This standard is based around the probability of a swallowed bolus being transited successfully to the stomach. It is therefore a very effective method of determining the physiological basis of dysphagia. Oesophageal manometry is widely used in Upper Gastro-intestinal surgery. Modifications to the Upper Gastrointestinal tract result in altered function and transit. Additionally, dysphagia and reflux symptoms are common. It is therefore difficult to apply routine diagnostic algorithms to symptoms in post surgical patients. If patterns of symptoms following surgery were better understood, these investigations would be able to be applied more effectively. This study will review 500 surgical patients who have undergone oesophageal manometry and pH testing and aim to establish the correlations of symptoms with physiological changes. Twenty sleeve gastrectomy patients will undergo high resolution video manometry and pH testing, aiming to determine the transit and flow patterns associated with a good outcome and symptoms of dysphagia following this surgery. It is hypothesised that transit of a swallowed bolus is different, following sleeve surgery and this requires alteration of the diagnostic algorithms that reflect oesophageal dysmotility.
Essential criteria: 
Minimum entry requirements can be found here: https://www.monash.edu/admissions/entry-requirements/minimum
Keywords 
surgery, sleeve gastrectomy, oesophageal manometry, physiology, pharmacology, microbiology, anatomy, developmental biology, molecular biology, biochemistry, immunology, human pathology, clinical, neuroscience
School 
Baker Institute
Surgery - Alfred
Available options 
PhD/Doctorate
Masters by research
Masters by coursework
Honours
BMedSc(Hons)
Time commitment 
Full-time
Top-up scholarship funding available 
No
Physical location 
Alfred Research Alliance

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