Acid reflux, or gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), affects 20% of adults in the United States. Without proper treatment, your acid reflux may permanently damage your esophagus. The board-certified gastroenterology physicians at Digestive Disease Care, with New York offices in Babylon, Lake Success, East Setauket, Mineola, and Jericho in Long Island, and Forest Hills and Jamaica in Queens, offer esophageal pH monitoring to diagnose GERD and evaluate the effectiveness of your treatment plan. To schedule a consultation, contact the office most convenient to you by phone or online today.
Esophageal pH monitoring is a diagnostic tool the team at Digestive Disease Care uses to determine how often the acidic contents of your stomach enters your esophagus and how long it stays there.
During the traditional esophageal pH monitoring test, doctors insert a catheter through your mouth, pass it into your stomach, and then pull it back into your esophagus. The catheter is then attached to a monitoring device that records activity and symptoms for 24 hours.
Dedicated to providing the best care possible, the gastroenterology experts at Digestive Disease Care conduct a 48-hour pH monitoring test using the Bravo™ Reflux Capsule. The catheter-free system is more comfortable and convenient and allows patients to continue their usual activities and diet during the diagnostic test.
The gastroenterology practice offers this unique approach to assist in the management of difficult-to-treat acid reflux cases and to avoid a misdiagnosis.
The team at Digestive Disease Care determines why you need esophageal pH monitoring and explains in detail the purpose and benefits of the test specific to your needs. In general, the team uses the tool to diagnose GERD or evaluate the effectiveness of your treatment plan.
GERD is a chronic medical condition in which the acidic contents of your stomach reflux up into your esophagus. GERD occurs when the lower esophageal sphincter (LES), located where the esophagus meets the stomach, is unable to tightly close, allowing food particles, stomach acid, and other digestive juices to splash back up into the esophagus. When left untreated, your chronic reflux can permanently damage your esophageal tissue.
The team at Digestive Disease Care performs an upper endoscopy procedure to place the pH capsule, which is the size of a vitamin gel cap, on the wall of your esophagus. To ease comfort and anxiety, the team provides sedation before starting the procedure, which means you should arrange to have someone help you home afterward.
The capsule measures pH levels and transmits the readings to a receiver you wear on your belt or waistband. After 48 hours, you return to the office so the team can assess the data and adjust your treatment plan. The capsule itself falls off the wall of your esophagus and moves through your digestive tract for elimination.
To schedule a consultation to learn more about esophageal pH monitoring, call Digestive Disease Care, or book online today.
