Capsule Endoscopy
With this new technology, the patient swallows a video capsule that is about the size of a vitamin capsule. Within this capsule are a camera that takes pictures as it travels through the stomach and small intestine. It takes about two pictures per second as it makes its way through the GI tract. This capsule enables your gastroenterologist to see areas of the small intestine that would otherwise not be visualized by other techniques.
About the Video Capsule Endoscopy Examination
The procedure is painless. The patient must fast for eight hours prior to the test. On the morning of the exam, the patient comes into our office. Video sensors are attached to the patient’s abdomen and the sensors are connected to a data recorder (the recorder is carried by the patient in a small sack attached to the waist). Once the patient swallows the video capsule he or she is free to carry out their normal activities for the next eight hours while the data is recorded. Pictures are taken (two images per second) by the capsule during this time period. The patient returns to our office after eight hours for removal and collection of the sensors and video recorder. At that point, our technician downloads the recordings to a disk. Your physician then reads the disk and interprets its findings.
Video capsule endoscopy is a valuable tool that is used to diagnose a variety of gastrointestinal disorders of the esophagus, stomach, and small intestine. It is often used to find a source of blood loss or anemia in patients in whom a colonoscopy and EGD have been non-diagnostic. Possible findings of video capsule endoscopy include small bowel ulcers, vascular malformations, inflammatory bowel disease, celiac disease, and small bowel cancers.
Important Information about the Capsule Endoscopy and Preparation
Your physician has determined that as part of your medical evaluation you should undergo an examination known as a Capsule Endoscopy. This procedure involves ingesting a small (the size of a calcium pill) Given Imaging M2A Capsule which will pass naturally through your digestive system while taking pictures of the intestine. The images are transmitted to the Sensor Array which is placed on your abdomen. The Sensor Array is attached to a walkman-like Given Data Recorder which saves all the images. It is located in the Recorder Belt, which is worn around your waist. After 8 hours, you will return to the office, and the technician will remove the Recorder Belt. Please do not attempt to do this yourself. The M2A capsule is disposable and will be excreted naturally. In order for your physician to get the most accurate information for this test, please follow the prep.
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After ingesting the M2A Capsule and until it is excreted, you should not be near any source of
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powerful electromagnetic fields such as one created near an MRI machine.
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2. Capsule Endoscopy’s last approximately 8 hours and is considered complete according to
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your physician’s instructions. Do not disconnect the equipment or remove the belt at any time. Since the Data Recorder is actually a small computer, it should be treated with the most care. Avoid sudden movement and banging of the computer.
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3. During Capsule Endoscopy, you will need to verify every 15 minutes that the small light on top of the Data Recorder is blinking blue, twice per second. If, for some reason, it stops call the office.
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4. After the test is complete, and in a few days you did not positively verify the secretion of the M2A Capsule from your body and you develop unexplained post-procedure nausea, abdominal pain, or vomiting, contact the office for evaluation and possible X-ray examination.