Bravo pH Monitoring

With BRAVO pH monitoring an upper endoscopy (EGD) is performed and a small device is placed during the exam at the end of the esophagus to monitor the acidity of that area (acid reflux). The capsule wirelessly transmits the information to a small battery pack worn by the patient for the next 48 hours to collect information about acid reflux or other symptoms you may be having such as chronic cough, chest pain or other swallowing dysfunction. During the exam you will have an upper endoscopy performed first. The endoscope is a small flexible tube with a light source, video source and multiple channels that allow your doctor to simultaneously watch live video of your upper gastrointestinal tract and take biopsies or perform other therapies such as placement of the BRAVO pH monitor during the exam. In order for the exam to be performed patients receive intravenous sedation and the procedure takes between 10 to 15 minutes. There is no preparation the day before. Patients feel well after the procedure but cannot drive themselves home. Patients then return to their normal activities and diet but will be given a food and symptom journal to complete to correlate digestive symptoms with esophageal acidity (acid reflux). The disposable pH capsule passes with a normal bowel movement within a few days after the exam.