What is a gastric emptying study?
A gastric emptying study (GET) is a test used to help diagnose the underlying cause of gastroparesis, a condition where the stomach doesn’t empty properly. This test may be necessary if you are experiencing from bloating and abdominal pain to nausea and vomiting.
This is a noninvasive study that only requires you to not eat or drink anything after midnight the night before the test.
During this study, you will be monitored for the time it takes a meal to move through your stomach to your small intestine. You’ll eat a solid (usually eggs) and a liquid (usually water), along with a small amount of radioactive material that has no odor or taste. This material allows a special camera to follow the food through your digestive system.
Over a four-hour timespan, your provider or technician will take images of your stomach to record the digestion process. To provide the best results you will be asked to avoid any additional food, drink and medication during the test to help provide the most accurate results.
If the results analyzed from your test show that it took longer than four hours to digest your meal, it is a sign of gastroparesis.
The treatment options will vary by patient depending on the severity of the test results along with your overall health and any underlying conditions. For most, treatment will typically involve dietary changes and medication to help ease the digestion process. If you’re experiencing severe symptoms with an underlying cause, surgery may be required.