Capsule endoscopic

What does it consist of?

Mainly, capsule endoscopy is a technique that allows the small intestine to be observed through a microcamera, which the patient has previously swallowed in a tablet.

The patient, after 12 hours of fasting, will ingest, without difficulty and without requiring hospital admission, a capsule with a small wireless camera. It moves through the body thanks to the contractions of the stomach itself making thousands of images that are transmitted to a recorder that is worn in a belt, which allows the visualization of the intestine without pain or abdominal distension being able to obtain images of the entire route, mainly of the esophagus, small intestine, and colon. Between one and two days later it is expelled naturally through the anus.

The exam lasts about 8 hours in which you can make normal life.

CASES IN WHICH IT IS RECOMMENDED

Who is it for?

Your doctor may recommend a capsule endoscopy procedure to:

Discover the cause of gastrointestinal bleeding. The most common reason for performing capsule endoscopy is to explore unexplained bleeding in the small intestine.
Diagnose inflammatory bowel diseases, such as Crohn’s disease. Capsule endoscopy may reveal areas of inflammation in the small intestine.
Diagnose cancer. Capsule endoscopy may show tumors in the small intestine or other parts of the digestive tract.
Diagnose celiac disease. Capsule endoscopy is sometimes used to diagnose and monitor this immune reaction to gluten consumption.
Examine the esophagus. Capsule endoscopy is also approved to evaluate the muscular tube that connects the mouth to the stomach (esophagus) and look for abnormal or enlarged veins (varices).
Detect polyps. People who have inherited syndromes that can cause polyps in the small intestine may occasionally undergo capsule endoscopy.
Do follow-up tests after X-rays or other imaging tests. If the results of an imaging exam aren’t clear or inconclusive, your doctor might recommend capsule endoscopy for more information.

INSTRUCTIONS

How should you prepare?

Before capsule endoscopy, your doctor will likely ask you to take certain steps to prepare. Be sure to follow your doctor’s instructions on preparing for capsule endoscopy. If you don’t follow the instructions, capsule endoscopy may need to be rescheduled.

Do not take iron 6 days before the test.
The day before the test eat liquid diet: juices, water, milk, teas, broths. Do not eat fruit, meat, fish, vegetables.
Go fasting for 10 hours.

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