Gastric Emptying
Overview
A gastric emptying scan is a nuclear medicine procedure that measures how quickly solid food moves from your stomach into your small bowel. This diagnostic scan helps physicians identify digestive disorders such as gastroparesis and other conditions affecting stomach function.
During the 4-hour imaging, you’ll consume a standardized meal containing a small amount of radioactive tracer, and our technologists will capture images at regular intervals to track how efficiently your stomach empties. Please let the scheduler know if you are allergic to gluten or eggs. The procedure is non-invasive, safe, and provides valuable information to guide your treatment plan.
Patient Testimonials
Nishell
“I called to schedule my daughter for an exam… Nikki took that all away for me.”
Catherine
“She is a great professional. She shows respect to the patient and she listens carefully.”
Sarah
“The tech Sara was highly professional and caring! Thank you!”
Lindsey
“She was absolutely wonderful, so welcoming… I don’t think people realize what a difference that makes when you are coming in for testing.”
Kristin
“Superior technician. Kristin was very nice, knowledgeable, and explained everything thoroughly.”
Jennifer
“My tech Jennifer was extremely kind and helpful. I appreciate her patients and professionalism very much.”
Frequently Asked Questions
A gastric emptying study is a nuclear medicine scan that measures how quickly food moves from your stomach into your small intestine. This imaging helps doctors diagnose conditions like gastroparesis (delayed stomach emptying) and other digestive disorders.
The entire scan takes approximately 4 hours. You’ll have images taken at 30-minute intervals for the first 2 hours, then you can leave the facility for about 2 hours before returning for a final image at the 4-hour mark.
The standard meal for the gastric emptying exam consists of eating two scrambled eggs, two pieces of white bread with strawberry jam, and 5oz of water. Once you are done eating the technologist will take a two-minute picture every thirty minutes for two hours. After the two-hour image is done you may leave the facility for just under two hours but you are not allowed to eat or drink anything during that time.
You must return for one final image four hours after the first image was taken. If you are not back promptly at the four-hour mark you may have to repeat the exam at your own expense due to lack of accuracy of the results. Sugar-free jam is available upon request. If you are gluten intolerant, please bring two pieces of gluten-free bread with you to the appointment. If you have an egg allergy or if the amount of food listed in the standard meal is too much for you to consume we will use 8oz of Boost Plus which is a meal replacement shake.
If your doctor orders a gastric emptying test with Reglan, once you are done eating the meal we will take pictures constantly for 90 minutes then give the Reglan and take pictures for another 30 minutes.
Nothing to eat or drink 12 hours prior to the scan. May have water up to 4 hours prior to appointment. Do not take narcotic pain medications for 24 hours prior to the scan. Do not take narcotic pain medications for 24 hours prior to the scan. If you are currently taking narcotic pain medications please tell the scheduler.