The Northwestern Medicine Kenneth C. Griffin Esophageal Center, part of the Northwestern Medicine Digestive Health Center, represents the fruition of more than three decades of expertise in esophagology.

The Esophageal Center is one of the largest referral points in the Midwest for esophageal function testing, which tests how well food is able to move through the esophagus. International observers routinely visit to learn from our practices. The Esophageal Center program combines all essential elements needed for ongoing clinical excellence and technical innovation: thoughtful clinicians, sophisticated diagnostic testing, clinical research and state-of-the-art surgical practices.

Our physicians have authored many of the current guidelines for the treatment and management of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), swallowing disorders and other conditions. Our investigators have pioneered the most modern diagnostic therapies, which include tests that monitor your acid reflux (wireless esophageal pH monitoring) and tests that monitor for causes of difficult swallowing (high-resolution digital manometers and functional lumen imaging probes).

Thoracic surgeons in the Canning Thoracic Institute treat a wide variety of esophageal diseases. These surgical treatments include:

• Minimally invasive and robotic surgery
• Transhiatal and transthoracic resection of the esophagus
• Partial and complete fundoplication for GERD
• Lengthening procedures for complex esophageal repairs
• Transoral stapling (without an incision) of Zenker's diverticulum

Northwestern Medicine Digestive Health Center staff members work closely with allergists, thoracic surgeons, surgical oncologists, dietitians, pathologists, radiologists and clinical oncologists to ensure that the best possible therapies are chosen.

If you are seen in the Esophageal Center (with benign disease) or the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University (with esophageal cancer), you will receive a comprehensive, multidisciplinary evaluation. This will lead to a personalized treatment plan developed by physicians that is appropriate for your diagnosis and disease stage. This treatment plan will address your symptoms, maximize your quality of life and aim to enhance your survival.

The Esophageal Center program focuses on benign and malignant disorders of the esophagus, including GERD, hiatal hernia, achalasia, Barrett's esophagus, diverticula, tumors and esophageal cancers.

Our current research focuses on esophageal and oropharyngeal physiology and pathophysiology, including:

• Oropharyngeal studies that aim to describe the normal mechanics of swallowing and the modifications that can happen with treatment (using computerized analysis of manometric and videofluorographic swallowing studies)
• Pathophysiologic studies of the oropharynx focused on the mechanisms that cause dysphagia and the efficacy of volitional compensatory strategies in modifying these defects
• Analysis of esophagogastric junction pathophysiology using high-resolution manometry for reflux disease and esophageal motor disorders
• Eosinophilic esophagitis

Our previous research has focused on central nervous system neurophysiology and autonomic nervous system neurophysiology related to sodium homeostasis and screening for esophageal cancer.