Dr. Lee was born in Shanghai, China, and received his college and medical training in the United States. He is fluent in English and three Chinese dialects. He graduated with chemistry departmental honors from Harvey Mudd College. He was appointed president of AOA society at UCLA School of Medicine. He underwent internal medicine residency and gastroenterology fellowship training at Cedars Sinai Medical Center.
Jay W. Marks, MD, is a board-certified internist and gastroenterologist. He graduated from Yale University School of Medicine and trained in internal medicine and gastroenterology at UCLA/Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.
A gastric emptying study often is used when there is a
suspicion that there is abnormally delayed emptying of food from the stomach,
medically called delayed gastric emptying. Delayed gastric emptying most
commonly gives rise to abdominal discomfort after meals, nausea and vomiting. The two most common
causes of delayed gastric emptying are gastric outlet obstruction and gastroparesis.
Gastric outlet
obstruction refers to
a condition in which the narrow channel leading from the stomach into the small
intestine through which food passes
(called the pylorus) is physically blocked, and, as a result food enters the
first part of the small intestine (called the duodenum) slowly or not
at all. The most common causes of gastric outlet obstruction are scarring or
inflammation of the pylorus from peptic ulcers, cancers of the stomach, or,
occasionally, cancers near the pylorus, for example, of the pancreas or
duodenum. A diagnosis of gastric outlet obstrution is made by tests such as
esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD), abdominal computerized tomography (CT scan),
and upper GI series.
Once gastric outlet obstruction has been excluded by
appropriate testing as the cause of delayed gastric emptying, physicians then
may perform a gastric emptying study to diagnose gastroparesis. Gastroparesis is
a condition in which there is delayed gastric emptying, but the delay is not due
to obstruction. Rather, it is due to abnormal function of the muscles of the
stomach. Normal function of the stomach's muscles is necessary in order to
propel food from the stomach and into the small intestine. If the muscles or the
nerves that control the muscles are not working normally, food remains in the
stomach. Gastroparesis is commonly caused by diseases and medications. The most
common cause of gastroparesis is diabetes mellitus.
A gastric emptying study also may be used when there is
a suspicion that there is abnormally rapid gastric emptying. Rapid gastric
emptying can cause diarrhea and episodes of weakness or light-headedness
following meals (referred to as the "dumping" syndrome). Common causes of rapid
gastric emptying include surgery of the stomach and diabetes mellitus.
Abdominal pain is pain in the belly and can be acute or chronic. Causes include inflammation, distention of an organ, and loss of the blood supply to an organ. Abdominal pain can reflect a major problem with one of the organs in the abdomen such as the appendix, gallbladder, large and small intestine, pancreas, liver, colon, duodenum, and spleen.
Gas or "intestinal gas" means different things to different people. Everyone has gas and eliminates it by belching or farting (passing it through the rectum).
GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease) is a condition in which the acidified liquid
contents of the stomach backs up into the esophagus. The symptoms of uncomplicated GERD are heartburn,
regurgitation, and nausea. Effective treatment is available for most patients with GERD.
Diabetes mellitus is a chronic condition characterized by high levels of sugar (glucose) in the blood. The two types of diabetes are referred to as type 1 (insulin dependent) and type 2 (non-insulin dependent). Symptoms of diabetes include increased urine output, thirst, hunger, and fatigue. Treatment of diabetes depends on the type.
IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) is a common gastrointestinal disorder involving abnormal gut contractions (motility) characterized by abdominal pain,
bloating, mucous in stools, and irregular bowel habits with alternating diarrhea
and constipation, symptoms that tend to be chronic and to wax and wane over the
years. Treatment options include medication and lifestyle changes such as diet, exercise, and stress management to control symptoms. Also called spastic colitis, mucus colitis, nervous colon syndrome.
Dyspepsia (indigestion) is a functional disease in which the gastrointestinal organs, primarily the stomach and first part of the small intestine, function abnormally. It is a chronic disease in which the symptoms fluctuate infrequency and intensity. Symptoms of dyspepsia include upper abdominal pain, belching, nausea, vomiting, abdominal bloating, early satiety, and abdominal distention (swelling). These symptoms are most often provoked by eating.
Gastroparesis is a medical condition in which the muscle of the stomach is paralyzed by a disease of either the stomach muscle itself or the nerves controlling the muscle. As a consequence, food and secretions do not empty normally from the stomach. Gastroparesis symptoms are nausea and vomiting; abdominal bloating, and pain can result.
Digestion is the complex process of turning food you eat into the energy you need to survive. The digestive process also involves creating waste to be eliminated, and is made of a series of muscles that coordinate the movement of food.
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