I would like to tell you a little about what we get up to and new things we have found out.
This week, I attended an Upper GI Study Day at St Thomas’ Hospital in London, right opposite Big Ben. Not only is the view from inside out wonderful, but the views I gained of what goes on inside were marvellous as well.
The study day was about benign oesophageal disease. We learned about the uses of the new high resolution manometry system for better understanding the causes of dysphagia (difficulty swallowing). It turns out that achalasia, a rare cause of dysphagia has a series of types which respond differently to different approaches. Before high resolution manometry, it was difficult to differentiate these. It is very much easier now.
I learned a great deal more but that will follow later…
Let me know if you have any questions.
Hi. Can you tell me some more about achalasia? John
Hi John
Achalasia is is a motility disorder of the oesophagus. The lower two thirds of the oesophagus have a smooth muscle layer. At the very bottom of the oesophagus there is a valve called the lower oesophageal sphincter (LOS). In achalasia, the characteristic finding is incomplete LOS relaxation, increased tone of the sphincter, and lack of peristalsis of the oesophagus. This means that the smooth muscle coat which usually pushes food down the oesophagus no longer works properly. The important point to remember is that achalasia can only be diagnosed when other explanations like cancer or fibrosis (scarring) have been excluded.
People suffering with achalasia usually have difficulty swallowing, regurgitation, and sometimes chest pain. The diagnosis is made using various tests including oesophageal manometry and barium swallow studies.
If you want more information, read more here: http://www.answers.com/topic/achalasia#ixzz1l4U19KVT
Thx for the tips, and your blog certainly looks exceptional. Just what wordpress theme are you using?
Hi Jeffrey. Thanks. I guess you are suggesting my wordpress theme could do with some improvement?
I cant claim excellence in all areas. At least the medical content is good!
Laurence
Cool knowledge! I have been looking for some thing like that for quite a while currently. With thanks!
Superior blog post, I am checking back again on a regular basis to look for posts.
Exactly where is the facebook like button ?
Hi. Thanks for pointing out that we dont have a Facebook like button on the blog page. At the moment, you have to go to the Home page and you will see it there. Thanks for pointing the error out. I will try and rectify!
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