As a service of its Digestive Disorders Department, North Fulton Regional Hospital opened its new Heartburn Treatment Center in June of 2005. This center offers a variety of diagnostic testing that can determine the severity of acid reflux, including

• Bravo pH study
• 24-hour pH study
• Esophageal Motility Study

The Bravo pH Study is used to measure the level and frequency of acid in the esophagus.  Before the Bravo system, clinical professionals were using the 24-hour pH study in which, a tube, called a pH catheter, is placed through the nose and down into the esophagus. The opposite end of the catheter is connected to a recorder with straps which the patient wears over the shoulder and neck for 24 hours.

The Bravo pH Study is done by temporally attaching a capsule (about the size of an acetaminophen tablet) to the inside of the esophagus. The patient will wear a receiver on their waist for 48 hours while the receiver records the pH data that is transmitted via radio frequency waves from the Bravo Capsule. In about 5-10 days the capsule will dislodge from the esophagus and pass through the gastrointestinal tract. The Bravo pH Study offers a convenient and more comfortable way to diagnosis GERD. During the Bravo pH Study patients can maintain their usual diet and most normal daily activities.

“The Heartburn Treatment Center offers Roswell, Alpharetta and surrounding areas a new resource for the diagnosis and treatment of digestive disorders,” says Thomas Riddick, MD, a gastroenterologist at North Fulton Regional Hospital. 

If you are among the millions of Americans that experience heartburn, then you should talk to your physician about the Heartburn Treatment Center at North Fulton Regional Hospital for your diagnostic testing.  For more information, please contact Sandy Stevens, RN, North Fulton Regional Hospital Heartburn Treatment Center Coordinator, at 770-751-2757.