Traditional endoscopy involves passing a long, flexible tube equipped with a video camera down your throat or through your rectum. Capsule endoscopy is a procedure that uses a tiny wireless camera to take pictures of your digestive tract. A capsule endoscopy camera sits inside a vitamin-size capsule you swallow. As the capsule travels through your digestive tract, the camera takes thousands of pictures that are transmitted to a recorder you wear.
Capsule endoscopy helps doctors see inside your small intestine — an area that isn't easily reached with more-traditional endoscopy procedures.
Find the cause of gastrointestinal bleeding or low blood count. The most common reason for doing capsule endoscopy is to explore unexplained bleeding in the small intestine.
Diagnose inflammatory bowel diseases, such as Crohn's disease. Capsule endoscopy can reveal areas of inflammation in the small intestine.
Diagnose cancer. Capsule endoscopy can show tumors in the small intestine or other parts of the digestive tract.
Before for your capsule endoscopy, you will be asked to take steps to prepare yourself. This maximises the chances of obtaining clear images of your small bowel. Detailed instructions will be sent to you prior to the procedure.
On the day of your capsule endoscopy, you will arrive at the hospital and adhesive patches will be attached to your abdomen. Each patch contains an antenna with wires that connect to a recorder. You wear the recorder across your shoulder. The camera sends images to the antenna patches on your abdomen, which feed the data to the recorder. The recorder collects and stores the images, to be viewed later by me.
Once the recorder is connected and ready, you swallow the camera capsule with water. A slippery coating makes it easier to swallow. Once you swallow it, you shouldn't be able to feel it. You'll then go about your day. You can drive, and you might be able to go to work, depending on your job.
Wait two hours after you swallow the capsule to resume drinking water. After four hours, you can have a light lunch or a snack. The capsule endoscopy procedure is complete after eight hours or when you see the camera capsule in the toilet after a bowel movement, whichever comes first. Once the procedure is finished, your body might expel the camera capsule within hours or after several days. Each person's digestive system is different. If you don't see the capsule in the toilet within two weeks, please contact us.
The camera used in capsule endoscopy takes thousands of colour photos as it passes through your digestive tract. The images saved on the recorder are transferred to a computer with special software that strings the images together to create a video. It might take a few days to a week or longer to receive the results of your capsule endoscopy. Your doctor will then share the results with you.