Long Beach Memorial Medical Center The Bowel Disorder and Motility Center

Leading Care for Digestive Disorders

Functional digestive disorders afflict up to 20 percent of the American population, resulting in at least 3.5 million office visits each year. Studies show that more people would be prompted to seek help for their digestive disorders if they were confident the disorders could be corrected.

• Have bowel disorders turned into a process of elimination for you or your patients? 
• Is eliminating one diagnosis after another the only way to diagnose bowel problems?
• What if there was a place where patients could receive thorough, accurate tests using the latest computer technology? 
• Where qualified staff analyzed the test results and made timely recommendations for treatment?  
• Where new medications, not available elsewhere, were routinely prescribed with excellent results?

Simply put, a bowel disorders resource center created by, and for, physicians who treat patients with bowel disorders.

Experts in functional bowel disease have joined together to open such a place. It's called the Bowel Disorder and Motility Center, and it's located at Long Beach Memorial Medical Center, a leading tertiary care facility.

At the Bowel Disorder and Motility Center, adult and pediatric patients are thoroughly tested with the latest computer-aided technology. This technology coupled with a unique software package, performs a hosts of tests, including:

• Anorectal manometry - measuring pressure in the anal canal and rectum for patients presenting with incontinence or constipation
• Esophageal manometry - measuring pressure in the esophagus for patients presenting with chest pain or painful spasms of the esophagus
• Esophageal pH study - measuring reflux acids in the esophagus, for patients suffering from heartburn or erosive esophagitis
• Antroduodenal manometry - measuring pressure in the stomach and small bowel, using radioactive markers, for patients presenting with nausea, abdominal bloating or pain
• Colon motility/transit studies - measuring the movement of waste through the colon with dye, for patients presenting with constipation or chronic diarrhea
• Gastric emptying - measuring the flow of solid or liquid meals for patients with unexplained nausea or vomiting

These tests are performed on an outpatient basis, and may take between one and five hours to perform, depending on the site being tested.

Who should be referred:
Now that you know which tests may be ordered, you may have questions about the type of patient seen at the center. The Bowel Disorder and Motility Center is targeted to patients who have abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting or an altered bowel habit, which cannot be explained by an anatomically identified lesion of the gastrointestinal tract. For physicians with questions about a particular patient, our staff will be happy to discuss specific diagnostic exams.

The role of the referring physician:
Referring physicians will receive a detailed written analysis of their patient's condition, based on the test results. Normally, results may be sent to the physician's office within 24 to 48 hours. Following the tests, the patient returns to the referring physician's care and will remain under his or her medical management.

Finally, consider what makes our center unique:

• Comprehensive testing: Conclusive tests are conducted of the esophagus, stomach, small intestine, colon and anal sphincter. Testing measures myoelectric potentials, contractions and transit throughout the gastrointestinal tract.
• Qualified staff: Including Medical Director William Snape, M.D., nationally renown for his research into inflammataory and bowel disease; a motility technician; and a bioengineer.
• Vast resources: As part of a leading medical center, the Bowel Disorder and Motility Center has access to respected radiology, nuclear medicine and GI departments.
• Access to new medications: Once tests are concluded, physicians receive a detailed analysis, which may include recommendations for drug therapy. When appropriate, experimental medications may be prescribed and monitored on-site by the center's staff.
• Reputation: The Bowel Disorder and Motility Center has been designated a Regional Teaching Center for Gastrointestinal Motility Disorders. Physicians may even receive hands-on demonstration using the latest motility testing technology.