Spire Clare Park Hospital expands its GI imaging capabilities for private patients with innovative new Bravo® device.
22 June 2018
Spire Clare Park is delighted to be able to offer the new Bravo device, providing Consultants with an easy-to-use, patient-friendly tool to visualise, diagnose and monitor the digestive system.
Bravo pH monitoring is a capsule-based, patient-friendly test for identifying the presence of acid reflux. Information is collected over multiple days, which allows the doctor to evaluate reflux symptoms by determining the frequency and duration of acid flowing back up into the oesophagus. The test is used to confirm if the patient’s symptoms are caused by gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD).
Bravo pH monitoring is unique because of its catheter-free design. By using a miniature pH capsule attached to the oesophagus, pH data from the oesophagus can be wirelessly transmitted to a small recorder worn on a shoulder strap or waistband. Because Bravo pH monitoring allows patients to maintain their regular activities, patients are provided with a convenient way to evaluate heartburn symptoms.
Bravo captures oesophageal pH data for up to 96 hours, 4 times the data compared to a 24-hour catheter-based test. Additionally, maintaining regular activities and a normal diet during the test also has the potential to provide a more accurate picture of acid exposure, compared to data collected using catheter-based systems where normal activities may be limited.
