Your doctor has determined that a Capsule Endoscopy is necessary for further evaluation of your condition. Capsule Endoscopy will provide your doctor with pictures of your small intestine.
Please feel free to ask your doctor or nurse any additional questions before the procedure is scheduled.
Capsule Endoscopy enables your doctor to examine the three portions (duodenum, jejunum, and ileum) of your small intestine. Your doctor will use a vitamin-pill sized video capsule as an endoscope, which has its own camera and light source. While the video capsule travels through your body, images are sent to a data recorder you will wear on a waist belt. Most patients consider the test comfortable. Afterwards your doctor will view the images on a video monitor.
Capsule Endoscopy helps your doctor determine the cause for recurrent or persistent symptoms such as abdominal pain, diarrhea, bleeding or anemia, in most cases where other diagnostic procedures failed to determine the reason for your symptoms. In certain chronic gastrointestinal diseases, the method can also help to evaluate the extent to which your small intestine is involved or monitor the effect of therapeutics. Your doctor might use Capsule Endoscopy to obtain motility data such as gastric or small bowel passage time.
You will receive accurate preparation instructions the day before the examination. An empty stomach allows optimal viewing conditions, so you should have nothing to eat or drink, including water, for approximately ten hours before the examination. Your doctor will tell you when to start fasting. Tell your doctor in advance about any medications you take; you might need to adjust your usual dose for the examination. Tell your doctor the presence of a pacemaker, previous abdominal surgery, swallowing problem or previous history of obstructions in the bowel.
Your doctor will prepare you for the examination by applying a sensor array to your abdomen with adhesive sleeves. The capsule endoscope is ingested and passes naturally through your digestive tract while transmitting video images to a data recorder worn on a belt for approximately eight hours. You will be able to eat after four hours following capsule ingestion unless your doctor instructs you otherwise.
At the end of the procedure, you will need to return to the office to return the data recorder and sensor arrays. The images acquired during your exam will be downloaded to a workstation for physician review. After ingesting the capsule and until it is excreted, you should not have a Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) examination or be near an MRI device.
After you return the equipment (waist belt, data recorder, battery pack & sensor array), your doctor will process the information from the data recorder and will view a color video of the pictures taken from the capsule. After the doctor has looked at this video, you will be contacted with the results.
The capsule is disposable and passes naturally with your bowel movement. You should not feel any pain or discomfort while being excreted.
Although complications may occur, they are rare when doctors who are specially trained and experienced in this procedure perform the test. A potential risk could be retention of the capsule. It is important for you to recognize early signs of possible complications. If you have a fever after the test, trouble swallowing or increasing chest or abdominal pain, tell your doctor immediately.