Capsule Endoscopy

Capsule endoscopy is an outpatient procedure that records pictures of your digestive tract. This procedure works by swallowing a pill-sized, wireless camera known as a PillCam.

The PillCam captures several pictures per second as it moves through your digestive tract. The capsule endoscopy procedure allows your doctor to visualize the small intestine without performing surgery.

This page will discuss capsule endoscopy preparation and what you can expect during and after this procedure. We’ll also highlight what conditions can be diagnosed using capsule endoscopy. Lastly, we’ll discuss the pros and cons of this procedure.

Capsule endoscopy preparation improves the accuracy and safety of the procedure. If you don’t follow your prep instructions, you will need to reschedule the procedure for a later date.

Preparation for your procedure focuses on clearing out your digestive tract. The camera takes better quality images when your digestive tract is empty. An empty digestive tract can also prevent the capsule from becoming stuck.

While we provide patients with specific prep instructions, here is an overview of what to expect.

1. Patients will start a clear liquid diet from noon the day before their procedure.
2. 5 days before, stop taking iron.
3. Morning meds will be taken 2 hours after swallowing capsule.
4. Patients are asked to take simethicone at bedtime the night prior. We do not require them to drink mag citrate.
5. We ask that patients withhold food and fluids from 10pm the night before until they swallow capsule at 8am the next morning.

The procedure begins by placing sensors on your abdomen that transmit information from the PillCam. You’ll also wear a belt around your waist that records images taken by the camera.

After you’re set-up with the necessary equipment, you’ll swallow the PillCam. The outer shell of the capsule is slippery, which makes it easy to swallow with water.

The capsule endoscopy procedure will last 8 hours. But it may take more or less time for the PillCam to travel through your digestive system. You should expel the capsule in a bowel movement within 1-3 days.

If you don’t pass the capsule after 2 weeks, you should contact our office. You may need x-ray imaging to see if it is still in your digestive tract.

Precautions

You can resume most of your daily activities during the procedure. But you need to follow certain precautions. You can drink clear liquids 2 hours after swallowing the capsule. And you can eat a light meal 4 hours after swallowing the capsule.

But you should avoid extensive physical activity during the procedure. This includes no:

• Running
• Jumping
• Heavy lifting

If you have a physically demanding job, you may need to request off the day of the procedure.

Because the PillCam contains metal parts, you should stay away from electromagnetic sources such as MRI machines.

After your procedure, you will return the recording equipment. This will enable us to access the images of your digestive tract.

We’ll download the images from the recorder and piece them together to form a video. This video can identify structural abnormalities in the small intestine.

You should receive your capsule endoscopy results within 1-2 weeks after the procedure. We’ll share these results with you in person. Receiving a diagnosis can feel overwhelming at first. But we can help you learn how to manage your diagnosis with a personalized treatment plan.

Capsule endoscopy can diagnose conditions that cause structural changes in the small intestine. These conditions include:

• Inflammatory bowel disease
  • Crohn’s disease
• Celiac disease
• Gastrointestinal cancer
• Ulcers

Capsule endoscopy can also diagnose the causes of digestive symptoms, including:

• Abdominal pain
• Gastrointestinal bleeding
• Bloating
• Difficulty swallowing

Capsule endoscopy offers unique advantages compared to traditional endoscopic procedures. This procedure can examine the small intestine, which can be hard to reach during an upper endoscopy or colonoscopy.

The capsule endoscopy procedure can also detect intestinal abnormalities that do not show up on imaging tests such as CT scans or x-rays.

Other advantages of capsule endoscopy include limited preparation and no anesthesia. Traditional endoscopic procedures use a flexible tube with a video camera that travels through your digestive tract. And these procedures involve some degree of sedation. But the capsule endoscopy procedure is as easy as swallowing a pill.

Capsule endoscopy is most often a safe and painless procedure. But it does have some disadvantages.

There is a slight risk that the PillCam can become lodged in your small intestine, resulting in small bowel obstruction. This unlikely event may occur in narrowed areas of the small intestine (strictures).

Signs of a small bowel obstruction include:

• Bloating
• Abdominal pain
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Fever
• Difficulty swallowing
• Chest pain

If you experience any of the above symptoms after swallowing the PillCam, you should immediately contact our office. If you cannot reach our office, you should go to the nearest emergency room. Small bowel obstruction needs emergency medical treatment. This may include surgery or endoscopic removal.

The PillCam is a useful tool for diagnosing small intestine disorders. But it does not offer any therapeutic benefits. Capsule endoscopy cannot repair problems in the digestive tract like other procedures. This is why upper endoscopy and colonoscopy are the gold standards for detecting and treating digestive conditions.

Capsule endoscopy is a minimally invasive procedure that examines the small intestine. This procedure can diagnose a range of small intestine disorders. But it cannot treat your digestive problems.

Dr. Sameer Islam is a gastroenterologist and West Texas, native. He is specially trained to diagnose and treat gastrointestinal conditions. And he offers a variety of diagnostic procedures, including capsule endoscopy at his clinic in Lubbock, Texas.

If you want to find the root cause of your digestive problems, you can schedule an appointment online or call our office at (806) 696-4440.