Motility study
What is a motility study?
A motility study (a colonic transit study) is an imaging procedure in which the patient swallows radiopaque markers (ball bearings) and has abdominal X-rays taken to monitor their clearance from the colon. The examination starts on Monday and continues for the week, sometimes even longer.
What preparation is needed?
Stop taking medications which affect your bowel movements (e.g. laxatives such as Dulcolax / Movicol) for the duration of the procedure.
Please arrive at the x-ray department 15 minutes before the appointment time.
What happens during the examination?
Before your motility study, a radiographer will explain the procedure to you and answer any relevant questions you might have. You will be asked to remove your clothing and put on a gown. A control abdominal x-ray will be taken immediately after you swallow 20 miniature ball bearings with water. This study aims to discover what may be causing your symptoms (e.g. constipation) and how fast or slow your bowel movement is.
What happens after the procedure?
You can continue with regular eating habits. However, you need to have an abdominal X-ray at the same time every day for the rest of the week (or as instructed) to check the movement of the ball bearings through the system.
What about the result?
Once the examination is complete, a report of the findings will be forwarded to your doctor. Please contact your doctor for the results.