New treatments are being developed and the reader is referred to a primary care physician or gastroenterologist for updated information. The traditional upper GI series often works just fine. A barium swallow allows the radiologist to study the GE junction looking for the hernia itself, for reflux of barium that was in the stomach back into the lower esophagus. Often hernias not seen in the upright position, the way most upper GI series are begun, tend to be more obvious while lying down. By just watching the junction, an experienced radiologist can determine whether a hernia is present and whether there is reflux as well as evaluate the degree of damage already inflicted on the esophageal lining.
Reflux can be problematic in imaging.
Often it is difficult to demonstrate actual reflux during the study. In general, an experienced radiologist is able to put his fluoroscopic impressions together with the films and come up with a pretty good guess about reflux. Find a radiologist near you. Join a live chat or threaded forum. CHAT Chat with Dr. Raymond about Radiology.