Capsule Endoscopy

Capsule endoscopy is a relatively new, very effective and easy method for allowing your gastroenterologist to see inside your small intestine, which is a part of the body that is not easily reached through traditional endoscopy. Patients undergoing this procedure simply swallow a capsule (about the size of a large vitamin pill) that contains a tiny, wireless camera. As the capsule travels through the digestive system, the camera takes and transmits thousands of pictures to a special recording device that the patient wears on their body. After approximately 24 hours, the capsule passes naturally out of the body and is flushed away. Your physician will then transmit the pictures the capsule took to a computer for analysis. Capsule endoscopy has been shown to be an effective way to identify the cause of unexplained gastrointestinal bleeding, assist in the diagnosis of inflammatory bowel diseases, and locate tumors in the intestinal wall.