WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – 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, MD, 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.[1]

Acid reflux occurs when the sphincter muscle at the lower end of the esophagus relaxes at the wrong time, allowing stomach acid to back up into the esophagus, causing heartburn and other symptoms. GERD is a more severe and long-lasting condition in which acid reflux causes repeated symptoms or leads to complications over time, such as Barrett’s disease, a risk factor for esophageal cancer.[2]

GERD can be difficult to diagnose. One in three patients with ongoing GERD-like symptoms does not have the condition.[iii]

“We are excited to offer this advanced wireless testing system to assist our outstanding surgeons like Dr. Betancourt in diagnosing patients with GERD and treating them effectively,” said Sheri Montgomery, Good Samaritan Medical Center’s CEO. “We are committed to supporting our physicians and our patients by investing in advanced medical technologies and making them readily available to our community.”

GERD is one of the most common gastrointestinal diseases, affecting up to 20% of the U.S. population, according to the American College of Gastroenterology. People who experience persistent acid reflux symptoms such as heartburn, a chronic cough or hoarseness may need to undergo an endoscopy to be tested for GERD.[iv]

The condition can be treated with prescription medications, such as proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), which reduce stomach acid production, or non-prescription medications such as antacids.[v] Long-term or over-use of PPIs, however, can lead to serious health complications such as osteoporosis, dementia, and enteric infections.[vi] Doctors also may recommend lifestyle changes such as quitting smoking, losing weight, or making dietary changes such as avoiding fatty or spicy foods, coffee, chocolate, tomatoes, and peppermint that are known to increase stomach acid production.[vii]

To learn more about our bariatric and gastrointestinal services, click here.

[1] https://www.medtronic.com/en-us/healthcare-professionals/products/digestive-gastrointestinal/reflux-testing/bravo-calibration-free-reflux-testing-system.html

[2]https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/digestive-diseases/acid-reflux-ger-gerd-adults

[iii] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26088946/

[iv] https://webfiles.gi.org/docs/patients/GERD-infographic-final_2022.pdf

[v] https://webfiles.gi.org/docs/patients/GERD-infographic-final_2022.pdf

[vi] https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7426248/

[vii] https://webfiles.gi.org/docs/patients/GERD-infographic-final_2022.pdf