Good Samaritan Medical Center now offers an advanced wireless testing system to help diagnose and assess symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and determine the effectiveness of treatment.
The first procedure at the hospital using the new Bravo Reflux Testing System was recently performed by Abraham Betancourt, M.D., a highly skilled bariatric surgeon who specializes in bariatric metabolic surgery, anti-reflux procedures, gastric stimulator for gastroparesis, abdominal wall hernia repair, and minimally invasive acute care surgery.
The system, developed by Medtronic, measures the acidity level in the patient’s esophagus using a small pH-sensing wireless capsule, about the size of a gel cap, that is temporarily attached to the esophageal tissue by the surgeon during an upper endoscopy while the patient is under sedation. Data from the capsule is transmitted for up to four days to a recording device, about the size of a pager, that the patient wears on their belt or waistband. The system’s software analyzes the data to determine if, and when, stomach acid is backing up into the patient’s esophagus.
