Manometry and pH Studies
30 minutes
manometry test time
24 hours
pH monitoring period
$575
procedure fee
Drive home
no sedation required
Symptoms You Might Be Experiencing
These studies exist for people whose symptoms keep coming back despite medication, and who deserve a proper answer rather than years of trial and error.
Procedures That Can Address These Symptoms
The right treatment depends on an accurate diagnosis, and that is what these studies provide.
Treat reflux with medication
For many patients the answer is the right medication at the right dose, confirmed rather than guessed.
Anti reflux surgery
Where reflux oesophagitis, a large hiatus hernia or a weak valve is confirmed, a fundoplication or hiatus hernia repair offers a lasting solution.
A different approach entirely
Sometimes testing shows the problem is not reflux but a motility disorder of the oesophagus, which needs different treatment altogether.
Why a Manometry Study Helps
80%
Symptoms alone correctly identify reflux disease in only around 80% of patients. The studies close that gap with objective measurements.
Lyon consensus
Results are assessed against the internationally agreed thresholds of the Lyon consensus, including how much acid your oesophagus actually sees over a full day.
Guides the operation
A strong oesophagus can suit a full fundoplication wrap, a weaker one a partial wrap, and findings such as achalasia mean surgery should be avoided altogether. Evidence, not guesswork.
How Does the Manometry and pH Study Work?
Manometry: about 30 minutes
A very fine catheter is passed through the nose after local anaesthetic spray, and you take sips of water while dozens of pressure sensors map each swallow on our high resolution ManoScan system. This is manometry and pH testing at its most detailed.
pH monitoring: 24 hours
A fine probe stays in place connected to a small recorder worn under your clothing while you eat, work and sleep as normal. You keep a simple diary of meals and symptoms.
Return, removal and reporting
A short visit the next morning removes the probe. Your results are analysed, reviewed with you and reported to your referring doctor.
Impedance: detecting non acid reflux
Our studies can include impedance sensors that detect liquid and gas movement, so reflux is identified even when it is not acidic. This matters most if your symptoms continue despite acid suppressing medication, because combined impedance pH monitoring catches what a standard pH recording alone can miss.
You will receive preparation instructions when you book, including which reflux medications to pause and for how long.
How Long Does a Manometry Test Take?
The manometry component takes about 30 minutes and you can drive yourself home afterwards; the pH study then records for 24 hours while you go about your day. Most patients describe the catheter as briefly uncomfortable while it is passed, then simply a nuisance they stop noticing.
How Much Does a Manometry Study Cost?
The manometry test cost is a flat fee with no public hospital waiting list. Whether a rebate applies depends on your referral and your circumstances, and any out of pocket amount is confirmed with you when you book, before the study takes place.
If you have been quoted for an esophageal manometry test or a 24 hour pH manometry test elsewhere, these are different spellings and names for the same studies described on this page, so you can compare like for like.
Types of Manometry and pH Testing
High Resolution Manometry
The modern form of oesophageal manometry, performed on our ManoScan system in Melbourne. Dozens of pressure sensors along the catheter map the whole oesophagus at once, giving a detailed picture of function in around 30 minutes.
24 Hour pH Monitoring
A fine catheter and a small recorder worn under your clothing measure acid exposure over a full day of normal eating, activity and sleep, in line with ambulatory pH monitoring practice worldwide.
Combined Manometry and pH Study
Most patients have both studies together. Manometry answers how the oesophagus moves, the pH study answers how much acid it sees, and the combination gives your surgeon the complete picture.
Technical Information for GPs and Referrers
Acid Reflux Testing: One Study, Many Names
Referrals describe this testing in many different ways; these names all mean the studies on this page.
If your doctor has used any of these terms, the manometry and 24 hour pH monitoring service at LapSurgery Australia in Melbourne is the testing they mean, and we can talk you through exactly what your referral is asking for when you book.
Frequently Asked Questions
Referred for a study?
If your doctor has referred you for manometry or a pH study, contact us on (03) 9760 2777 to arrange your appointment and receive your preparation instructions. If your results lead to a discussion about treatment, you can read about the operations these studies inform on our reflux surgery and hiatus hernia repair pages.
Related Procedures
Your Next Steps
Ready to take the next step? Here is how to get started.