Seeing vs. Measuring: The Roles of Endoscopy & Anorectal Manometry in GI Care

When it comes to evaluating gastrointestinal disorders, gastroenterologists rely on a range of diagnostic tools to see what’s happening inside the body and to measure how the body is functioning. Two common procedures—endoscopy and anorectal manometry (ARM)—play complementary roles in helping clinicians get the complete picture. With the introduction of solutions like Medspira’s mcompass® system, manometry has become more accessible and practical than ever for clinics and hospitals alike.

Endoscopy: Essential for Structural Insight

Endoscopes absolutely serve a purpose in GI medicine. They allow physicians to visually inspect the mucosa, detect abnormalities such as tumors, strictures, or inflammation, and in some cases perform therapeutic interventions.

However, endoscopy is limited to what the eye can see. What it cannot provide are the functional measurements needed to understand how well the anal sphincter and rectal muscles are working. Endoscopy alone cannot measure pressures, reflexes, or muscle coordination—critical data points that the mcompass® Anorectal Manometry System from Medspira can capture quickly and efficiently.

Anorectal Manometry: Functional Data at Your Fingertips

This is where anorectal manometry steps in. ARM measures pressures, reflexes, and coordination in the anorectal region, providing insights that simply cannot be captured by endoscopy. With systems like Medspira’s mcompass®, clinicians can:

• Assess sphincter tone and strength

• Measure rectal sensation thresholds

• Evaluate reflexes such as the rectoanal inhibitory reflex (RAIR)

• Identify dyssynergia or other pelvic floor dysfunctions
  
  

By quantifying function, ARM gives providers the ability to diagnose and manage functional conditions—even when endoscopic findings are normal. With mcompass®, these insights are delivered through a portable, easy-to-use platform that eliminates many of the traditional barriers to manometry testing.

Cost and Practicality: A Key Distinction

While both procedures are invaluable, they differ significantly in terms of cost and involvement.

• Endoscopy: requires specialized suites, sedation, and a higher investment in equipment. It is also more time-intensive and resource-heavy.

• Anorectal Manometry: far less involved. Using a system like mcompass®, testing can be performed in an outpatient setting, is minimally invasive, and requires no sedation. The equipment is substantially less expensive, making it a smart, cost-conscious addition for GI practices.
  
  

This means practices can expand diagnostic capabilities without dramatically expanding overhead.

The Complementary Patient Journey

In practice, the two tools often go hand-in-hand. For example:

1. Anorectal Manometry—with solutions such as mcompass®, because anorectal manometry is more cost efficient and provides more immediate functional performance and underlying causes of symptoms patients will explore this avenue initially.

2. Endoscopy will then be the pivot to further rule out structural abnormalities and discover any potential lesions.

Connecting with the Neurogastroenterology Community

Medspira is committed to advancing functional GI diagnostics with accessible, portable solutions like the mcompass® Anorectal Manometry System. We’re proud to be joining upcoming gastroenterology events this fall:

• Florida Gastroenterologic Society (FGS) Annual Meeting

  • September 12-14 in Orlando, FL

• Texas Society for Gastroenterology & Endoscopy Annual Texas Meeting

  • September 12-14 in Houston, TX

If you’re attending either event, be sure to stop by our booth to see firsthand how Medspira is making functional GI testing simpler, more efficient, and more cost-effective.