Photo of Dr Rami Sweis

Dr Rami Sweis

Telephone:

Email:

Location:

  • University College Hospital

GMC/GDC number:

4639765

Professional background

Qualifications

  • 1994: BSc (1st class hons) biology/psychology/chemistry, University of Illinois at Chicago
  • 1999: MB ChB, University of Edinburgh Medical School
  • 2004: MRCP (UK)
  • 2013: PhD (King’s College London)
  • 2013: CCT + revalidation
  • 2018: FHEA (fellowship of the Higher Education Academy
  • 2019: Honorary clinical associate professor
  • 2019: FRCP

Rami Sweis acquired his Bachelor’s degree in 1994 from the University of Illinois at Chicago and his medical degree in 1999 from University of Edinburgh. He trained in gastroenterology at Guy’s & St Thomas’ Hospitals, Kings College Hospital and South East Thames and completed his PhD from Kings College London in 2012. He was appointed as Consultant in Upper GI Medicine and Physiology at UCLH in 2014 and is the Upper GI Physiology Lead. He also holds a Lecturer position at University Newcastle.

Rami Sweis is an active member of the international High Resolution Manometry Working Group, which is responsible for classifying oesophageal disorders including the Chicago Classification. He is also President of the Association of GI Physiologists (AGIP) and is a member of the Oesophageal section of the British Society of Gastroenterology. He regularly organises and chairs Upper GI Symposia and Hands-on Training in Upper GI physiology in the UK (through AGIP, NGM and at UCLH) and through other societies abroad.

As a member of the Upper GI Endoscopy team at UCLH, Rami Sweis has a particular interest in investigating and managing complex benign as well as malignant/pre-malignant upper GI disorders such as Achalasia (pneumatic dilatation and per-oral endoscopic myotomy; POEM), Barrett’s oesophagus (radio-frequency ablation and endoscopic mucosal resection), Gastric dysplasia (submucosal dissection) and upper GI cancer (dilatation, stent and laser).

Specialties

Research interests

Rami Sweis’ research is primarily focused on trying to advance the methodology and utility of the technology used to investigate reflux and swallowing disorders, including catheter/wireless (Bravo) pH-monitoring, High Resolution Manometry, Endoscopy and Barium swallow. He continues to publish and collaborate with fellow experts and oesophageal units nationally and internationally. He is currently PI in the UK (central site Leuven) of a multi-centre randomised trial comparing POEM with pneumatic dilatation. He is also lead supervisor to a PhD student whose thesis is centered on understanding how motility is affected in Eosinophilic oesophagitis. 

Publications

https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Rami_Sweis

Santosh Sanagapalli, Joshua McGuire,…Rami Sweis. The clinical relevance of manometric esophagogastric junction outflow obstruction can be determined using rapid drink challenge and solid swallows. AJG. 2020 (in press)
Rami Sweis, Mark Fox. High-Resolution Manometry-Observations After 15 Years of Personal Use-Has Advancement Reached a Plateau? Curr Gastroenterol Rep 2020;22:49.

Rami Sweis, Mark Fox. The global burden of gastro-oesophageal reflux disease: more than just heartburn and regurgitation. Lancet Gastroenterol Hepatol 2020;5:519-521.

Stephen Hasak, Rena Yadlapati….Rami Sweis, et al. Prolonged Wireless pH Monitoring in Patients With Persistent Reflux Symptoms Despite Proton Pump Inhibitor Therapy. Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol 2020.

Yoshimasa Hoshikawa, Heather Fitzke, Rami Sweis, et al. Rumination syndrome: Assessment of vagal tone during and after meals and during diaphragmatic breathing. Neurogastroenterol Motil 2020:e13873.

Rohit Rao, Rami Sweis, Rehan Haidry. A case of dysphagia secondary to a double-lumen esophagus: endoscopic management with septotomy. VideoGIE 2020;5:98-101.

Santosh Sanagapalli, Andrew Plumb…Rami Sweis. The timed barium swallow and its relationship to symptoms in achalasia: Analysis of surface area and emptying rate. Neurogastroenterol Motil 2020:e13928.

Nigel Trudgill, Daniel Sifrim, Rami Sweis, et al. British Society of Gastroenterology guidelines for oesophageal manometry and oesophageal reflux monitoring. Gut 2019;68:1731-1750.

Bas Weusten, Max Barret M…Rami Sweis, et al. Endoscopic management of gastrointestinal motility disorders - part 1: European Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ESGE) Guideline. Endoscopy 2020;52:498-515.

Bas Weusten, Max Barret M…Rami Sweis, et al. Endoscopic management of gastrointestinal motility disorders - part 2: European Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ESGE) Guideline. Endoscopy 2020;52:600-614.

Santosh Sanagapalli, Sabine Roman….Rami Sweis. Achalasia diagnosed despite normal integrated relaxation pressure responds favorably to therapy Neurogastroenterol Motil. 2019;31(6):e13586.

Marcella Pesce, Cormac McGee….Rami Sweis. The treatment of achalasia patients with esophageal varices: an international study. United European Gastroenterol J. 2019;7(4):565-72.

Henrietta Heinrich, Rami Sweis. The role of oesophageal physiological testing in the assessment of noncardiac chest pain. Ther Adv Chronic Dis. 2018. 9(12) 257–267.

Henrietta Heinrich, Rami Sweis. Young GI angle: How to chair a session. United European Gastroenterol J.2018;6(7):1109-11.

Santosh Sanagapalli, Anton Emmanuel….Rami Sweis. Impaired motility in Barrett's esophagus: A study using high-resolution manometry with physiologic challenge. Neurogastroenterol Motil. 2018 doi: 10.1111/nmo.13330.

Rami Sweis, Henriette Heinrich, Mark Fox. Variation in High Resolution Esophageal Manometry methodology in clinical practice: Results from an international survey. Neurogastroenterol Motil. 2018; 30(3)

Daphne Ang, Benjamin Misselwitz, Michael Hollenstein, Kevin Knowles, Jeff Wright, Emily Tucker, Rami Sweis, Mark Fox. Diagnostic yield of high-resolution manometry with a solid test meal for clinically relevant, symptomatic oesophageal motility disorders: serial diagnostic study. Lancet Gastroenterol Hepatol 2017;2:654-661.

Hamish Philpott, M Garg, D Tomic, Smirithya, Rami Sweis. Dysphagia; Thinking outside the box. World J Gastroenterol 2017;23:6942-6951.

Hamish Philpott, Rami Sweis. Hiatus hernia as a cause of dysphagia. Current Gastroenterology Reports. 20172017;19:40.

Santosh Sanagapalli, Rami Sweis. Achalasia; it’s not all black and white. Current Gastroenterology Reports. 2017Curr Gastroenterol Rep. 2017;19(6):27

Santosh Sanagapalli, Rami Sweis. Combined pH-impedance testing for reflux: current state of play and future challenges. Frontline Gastroenterol 2017;8:154-155.

Daphne Ang, M Hollenstein, B Misselwitz, Kevin Knowles, Jeff Wright, Emily Tucker, Rami Sweis, Mark Fox. Rapid Drink Challenge in high-resolution manometry: an adjunctive test for detection of esophageal motility disorders. Neurogastroenterol Motil 2017; 29(1)

Matthew Banks & Rami Sweis. POEM and the management of achalasia. Frontline Gastroenterology. 2017;8:143-147

Rami Sweis & Natascha Cieplik. Practical implementation tips: GORD in adults. Guidelines in Practice. 2015; 18 (11): 48–52.

Roberto Penagini, Rami Sweis, Aurelio Mauro, Gerson Domingues, Daniel Sifrim. Inconsistency in the diagnosis of functional heartburn: usefulness of prolonged wireless pH monitoring in patients with PPI refractory gastroesophageal reflux disease. J Neurogastroenterol Motil. 2015 Mar 30;21(2):265-72

Yu Tien Wang, Ling Fung Tai, Etsuro Yazaki, Jafar Jafari, Rami Sweis, et al. Investigation of dysphagia and reflux symptoms after antireflux surgery by high resolution manometry: impact of multiple water swallows and a solid test meal on diagnosis, management and clinical outcome. Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2015 Sep;13(9):1575-83

Rehan Haidry, Adil Butt, Jason Dunn…Rami Sweis et al. Improvement over time in outcomes for patients undergoing endoscopic therapy for Barrett's oesophagus-related neoplasia: 6-year experience from the first 500 patients treated in the UK patient registry. Gut 2015 ;64:1192-1199

Mark Fox, John Pandolfino, Rami Sweis, Elad Kaufman, Jafar Jafari, Dieter Menne. Inter-observer agreement for diagnostic classification of esophageal motility disorders defined in high-resolution manometry. Dis Esophagus. 2015 Nov-Dec;28(8):711-9.

Rami Sweis, Angela Anggiansah, Terry Wong, Gareth Brady, Mark Fox. Assessment of esophageal dysfunction and symptoms during and after a standardized test meal: development and clinical validation of a new methodology utilizing high-resolution manometry. Neurogastroenterol Motil 2014;26(2):215-28

Rami Sweis, Emily Tucker, Angela Anggiansah, Terry Wong, Emmanouil Telakis, Kevin Knowles, Jeff Wright, Mark Fox. Measurement of esophago-gastric junction cross-sectional area and distensibility by an endolumenal functional lumen imaging probe for the diagnosis of GERD. Neurogastroenterol Motil 2013;25(11):904-10.

Rami Sweis, Elad Kaufman, Angela Anggiansah, Terry Wong, Peter Dettmar, Michael Fried, Werner Schwizer, Ravi Kant Avvari, Anupam Pal, Mark Fox. Post-prandial reflux suppression by a raft-forming alginate (Gaviscon Advance) compared to a simple antacid: documented by magnetic resonance imaging and pH-impedance monitoring: mechanistic assessment and clinical randomized, controlled, double-blind study. Aliment Pharmacol Ther2013;37(11):1093-102.

Rami Sweis, Roy Anggiansah, Angela Anggiansah, Terry Wong, Derek Cooper, Mark Fox. The effects of obesity on oesophageal function, acid exposure and the symptoms of gastro-oesophageal reflux disease. Aliment Pharmacol Ther 2013;37(5):555-63.

Mark Fox, Rami Sweis. Future Directions in Esophageal Motility and Function – New Technology and Methodology. Neurogastroenterol Motil 2012;24 Suppl 1:48-56.

Rami Sweis, Mark Fox, Angela Anggiansah, Terry Wong. Prolonged, wireless pH-studies have a high diagnostic yield in patients with reflux symptoms and negative 24-h catheter-based pH-studies. Neurogastroenterol Motil2011;23(5):419-26

Rami Sweis, Angela Anggiansah, Terry Wong, Elad Kaufman, Sabina Obrecht, Mark Fox. Normative values and inter-observer agreement for liquid and solid bolus swallows in upright and supine positions as assessed by esophageal high-resolution manometry. Neurogastroenterol Motil 2011;23(6):509-e198

Constanze Daum, Rami Sweis, Elad Kaufman, et al. Failure to respond to physiologic challenge characterizes esophageal motility in erosive gastro-esophageal reflux disease. Neurogastroenterol Motil 2011;23(6):517-e200.
Rami Sweis, Mark Fox, Angela Anggiansah R, et al. Patient acceptance and clinical impact of Bravo monitoring in patients with previous failed catheter-based studies. Aliment Pharmacol Ther 2009;29(6):669-76.

Rami Sweis Angela Anggiansah, Terry Wong. Efficacy of Esophageal Impedance/Ph Monitoring in Patients With Refractory Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease, on and off Therapy. Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol 2009;8(3):313
Mark Fox, Rami Sweis, Terry Wong, Angela Anggiansah. Sildenafil relieves symptoms and normalizes motility in patients with oesophageal spasm: a report of two cases. Neurogastroenterol Motil 2007;19(10):798-803

Book Chapters

Rami Sweis & Henriette Heinrich. Physiology and Function of the Oesophagus. Advanced Nutrition and Dietetics in Gastroenterology, 2nd Edition Wile Blackwell. 2020 (In press)

Mark Fox, Rami Sweis. Chapter 4: Spastic Esophageal Disorders (DES, Nutcracker, Jackhammer), In: Handbook of GI Motility and Functional Disorders. (SLACK Inc). 2015

Rami Sweis. Oesophagus; Chapter 1. In: Diet and Nutrition for Gastrointestinal Disease (Wiley Blackwell), 2014

Rami Sweis, Mark Fox. Free drinking and Solid Swallows using HRM. In: Manual of High Resolution Esophageal manometry (Uni-Med Science), 2013

Rami Sweis, Abraham Botha. Pathophysiology and investigation of gastro-oesophageal reflux disease. In: Griffin SM, Raimes SA, eds. Oesophagogastric Surgery. 4th ed: WB Saunders (Elsevier), 2009: 229-250.