Barium Swallow: Overview, Room Set Up, and Positioning - Video Lesson

Welcome back everybody to our series on fluoroscopic procedures. This video will discuss the anatomy indications and contraindications related to a barium swallow procedure. Let's begin with a quick discussion of the anatomy of the esophagus. The main purpose of the esophagus is to provide a passageway for food and liquid to enter the stomach. This is achieved by muscular contraction or peristalsis of the esophagus. The esophagus is approximately ten inches or twenty four centimeters long. And zero point seven five inches or one point nine centimeters in diameter. Remember, Perostalsis is the muscular contractions that move material through the esophagus, and deglutition is the act of swallowing. The esophagus starts at the level of c five to c six. At the lower border of the cricoid cartilage of the larynx and ends at the level of the t eleven, where it connects to the stomach. The opening