Improved technology has expanded the study and understanding of gastrointestinal motility. Although no clear cause and effect relation has been demonstrated, altered motility has been found in association with a variety of nonsurgical and postoperative settings. As this relation is better defined, perhaps patients who are at risk to develop complications of surgery can be better identified so that treatment can be tailored toward their specific defect. Technological advances can also be expected to provide new and more effective interventions in this expanding field.