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New Technology for Gastroenterology
St. Luke's Hospital now offers two highly innovative gastroenterology procedures: the capsule endoscopy and the Bravo TM pH monitor.
The capsule endoscopy offers a non-invasive option to examine the entire small intestine. The system uses a disposable miniature video camera encapsulated into a pill that is ingested by the patient.
Susan Grisham, RN, Head Nurse for St. Luke's GI Lab, discusses the process for transferring the color images.
"Patients are referred for this procedure if results from an endoscopy and a colonoscopy are negative but patients are experiencing unexplained bleeding. Once the patient swallows the capsule, it naturally moves through the digestive tract, capturing more than 55,000 images with a 140-degree field of view," said Grisham.
The capsule is used to diagnose a wide range of abnormalities of the small intestine such as Crohn's disease, chronic abdominal pain and malabsorption.
"Patients wear a belt with a recorder attached. After swallowing the capsule, the images are transferred to the attached recorder, providing patients the flexibility to leave the hospital and return in the afternoon to download results," said Grisham.
In addition to the capsule endoscopy, St. Luke's offers the Bravo pH monitoring system, a procedure that tests for pH. The Bravo pH system measures acid levels in patients who have gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). If left untreated, GERD may produce an inflammation of the esophagus, or the pre-cancerous condition known as Barrett's Disease. St. Luke's Hospital is the only hospital in the area offering this innovative pH monitoring system.
"A physician places the Bravo pH sensor along the esophageal wall. Data is transmitted to a recorder the patient wears, providing graphed levels of pH for an extended length of time," said Grisham.
"This catheter-free technique improves the duration of previous acid reflux testing, providing results for 48 hours instead of the 24 hours. Once attached, patients are able to return in two days, when the results are obtained from the belt. The Bravo pH sensor automatically detaches within seven to 10 days and passes through the digestive tract."
The GI Lab offers a full complement of medical specialties and services on the first floor in the East Medical Building at St. Luke's Hospital.
For more information, call St. Luke's Physician Referral Service at 314-205-6060.
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