Upper GI Series & Small Bowel Follow-Through
X-rays of your esophagus, stomach and small intestine
Identifying Problems in Your Upper Gastrointestinal Tract and Small Intestine
An upper gastrointestinal, or GI, series is an X-ray of your esophagus and stomach conducted in the Radiology Department. Sometimes we combine it with small bowel follow-through.
Doctors in our Digestive Disease Center may order these diagnostic tests to investigate problems such as abdominal pain, swallowing difficulties, chronic indigestion and many others.
There is some preparation involved. You should be able to return to normal activities as soon as testing is complete.
What is a Small Bowel Follow-Through?
Small bowel follow-through is a special X-ray of your small intestine. Like an upper GI test, it uses fluoroscopy, which is like an X-ray movie. It allows doctors to watch the flow of barium through your small intestine after it passes through your esophagus and stomach.
Small bowel follow-through may help diagnose a number of conditions, including intestinal tumors and bowel obstructions. It also can help diagnose inflammatory bowel disease, such as Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis.
More About Upper GI Series & Small Bowel Follow-Through
Your stomach must be empty for these tests. It’s important that you don’t eat or drink anything after midnight the night before your exam. If you eat or drink anything, we may have to postpone your exam.
You may take essential medications with a small sip of water. If you have diabetes, talk with your doctor before taking any medication the morning of your exam.
At the beginning of the upper GI series procedure or small bowel procedure, we ask you to swallow a barium drink. Barium is a substance that coats your esophagus, stomach and small intestine as it moves through your body. The coating makes the organs easier to see, helping us spot any problems.
Both a radiologist and a technologist will be with you during your exam. The radiologist will watch the barium on a special X-ray television screen. At certain points, the radiologist will ask you to change your position or hold your breath. This allows us to take specific snapshots.
Usually, an exam of your esophagus and stomach takes 30-45 minutes. An exam of your small intestine may take more than two hours, depending on how fast the barium moves. We take an X-ray every 30 minutes to observe the movement of the barium through your small intestine. You won’t feel any pain during the procedure.
As soon as your exam is over, you may have something to eat. Barium may cause constipation, so it’s important to drink plenty of fluids. Your radiologist also may suggest you take a mild laxative.
