Motility Center
The gastrointestinal tract actively moves nutrition through the body, allowing for ingestion, digestion and disposal. This process, referred to as motility, normally happens involuntarily through the complex work of the gut, brain and nervous system. When gastrointestinal motility does not function properly, it is referred to as motility disorder. Symptoms of motility disorders can include abdominal distension or pain, constipation, difficulty swallowing, excessive vomiting, nausea, or diarrhea. While these symptoms can often overlap or be confused with indigestion, irritable bowel syndrome, or even inflammatory bowel disease, motility disorders are functionally different and require different therapies.
The Pediatric Motility Center at the NewYork-Presbyterian Komansky Children's Hospital is one of only a few programs in the world specifically focused on diagnosing and treating motility disorders pediatric patients. Its comprehensive diagnostic capabilities are unrivaled in the New York metro area, and the program is supported by the complimentary services offered by the CADC.
Diagnosing Motility Disorders
Motility disorders in pediatric patients include but are not limited to:
- Anorectal disorders
- Complex congenital malformations – anorectal and esophageal
- Constipation
- Esophageal achalasia
- Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
- Gastroparesis
- Fecal incontinence
- Intestinal pseudo-obstruction syndrome
Physicians who study and treat motility disorders frequently diagnose conditions through motility monitoring, highly specialized diagnostic tests that can determine where the GI tract is not working properly to move nutrition through the body.
The Center for Advanced Digestive Care works to provide its patients all possible care options, and that extends to all possible diagnostic options in the pediatric motility program. Technologies including high resolution manometry, pH impedance testing, and Bravo® wireless pH monitoring each serve a function to determine motility-related causes for digestive issues, and are all available to pediatric patients of the CADC.
Wherever possible, child-sized equipment is used in clinical and procedure spaces, and free pediatric support services such as nutrition counseling and social work are available to patients seen by CADC physicians.
A Fully-Equipped Motility Program
The Pediatric Motility Center at the Komansky Center for Children’s Health at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center is the only comprehensive center in the greater New York City area to offer manometry testing for the full range of the GI tract – esophageal manometry, antroduodenal manometry, colonic manometry, and anorectal manometry.
- High-resolution and 3D esophageal manometry
- High-resolution and 3D anorectal manometry
- Antro-duodenal manometry
- Colonic manometry
- Bravo® wireless pH monitoring
- pH impedance testing
- Therapeutic and diagnostic endoscopy
The Pediatric Motility Center at the Komansky Center for Children’s Health is one of only a few centers of its kind in the world, and its range of diagnostic capabilities further sets this center within the Center for Advanced Digestive Care apart. Our motility specialists work closely with other gastroenterologists, pediatric surgeons and other specialists when necessary to set a treatment plan after a diagnosis is made.