Swallowing & Oesophageal Disorders

The St Vincent's Centre for Swallowing & Oesophageal Disorders provides a highly specialised, world-class diagnostic and therapeutic service to patients across NSW with complex oesophageal disorders. 

While the Centre is run by the Department of Gastroenterology, it retains close links and collaborates with other specialty units at St Vincent's as dictated by the needs of each patient - including the Departments of Immunology & Allergy, Upper GI and ENT Surgery, Oncology, Lung Transplant, Dietetics and Speech Pathology. The Centre is actively engaged in clinical research and collaborates with other international centres of excellence.

Conditions Treated

The Centre assesses and treats patients with a variety of local and systemic diseases affecting the oesophagus; including (but not limited to) conditions such as:

  • Eosinophilic oesophagitis (EoE)
  • Achalasia
  • Other oesophageal motility disorders (e.g. oesophageal spasm, oesophagogastric junction outflow obstruction (OGJOO), ineffective oesophageal motility and hypercontractile (jackhammer) oesophagus)
  • Oesophageal strictures
  • Gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD)
  • Connective tissue diseases (e.g. scleroderma)
  • Oesophageal cancer
  • Swallowing difficulty following head and neck cancers 
  • Swallowing difficulty or other symptoms after fundoplication surgery for reflux

Patients with undiagnosed dysphagia (trouble swallowing), regurgitation, chest pain or other suspected oesophageal symptoms are also welcomed for specialist assessment.

Services

Specialist consultation - the Oesophageal Disorders Clinic (Level 3, Outpatients Department)
High-resolution oesophageal manometry - gold standard for the diagnosis of oesophageal motility disorders
24 hour reflux (pH) monitoring - gold standard for the diagnosis of acid reflux (GORD)
Endoscopic assessment and treatment of oesophageal disorders

Referrals

Referrals are accepted from GPs and other specialists. Please address all referrals to 'Dr Santosh Sanagapalli - St Vincent's Oesophageal Disorders Clinic'
address: Gastroenterology Department, Level 2, Xavier Building, St Vincent's Hospital
Tel: 02 8382 2061
Fax: 02 8382 3983
Email: SVHS.gastro@svha.org.au

Patient information

Oesophageal High-Resolution Manometry 
Oesophageal 24 hour reflux (pH) monitoring