What Is Small Bowel or Video Capsule Endoscopy?
Small Bowel Capsule Endoscopy is a diagnostic procedure that involves swallowing a pill-sized camera capsule. Travelling through your digestive system, it captures images and videos of your small intestine’s lining. The images are transmitted to a recorder worn on a belt or waistband, allowing doctors to analyse the recorded data and diagnose potential issues.
What Diseases Can Be Detected by Small Bowel Capsule Endoscopy?
Small Bowel Capsule Endoscopy is particularly useful in detecting various gastrointestinal conditions. It helps identify sources of unexplained bleeding, inflammation, ulcers, polyps, tumours, and other abnormalities in the small intestine. Conditions like Crohn’s disease, celiac disease, and small bowel tumours can be assessed using this method.
How to Prepare for Your Small Bowel Capsule Endoscopy?
Preparing for the procedure is relatively simple. You may need to avoid certain foods and drinks and fast for a few hours before the examination. You will need to drink a special solution to cleanse your intestinal tract to optimize the view of your small intestine.
What Happens During Small Bowel Capsule Endoscopy?
On the day of the procedure, you’ll visit the medical facility, and your doctor will explain the process in detail. You will swallow the capsule with water, and the camera will start capturing images as it passes through your digestive system. It’s essential to avoid strenuous activities during the examination to prevent prematurely dislodging the capsule.
What to Expect After the Procedure?
After the capsule has completed its journey through your digestive system, you’ll return to the medical facility to return the recording device the next day. Your doctor will then analyse the recorded data to make a diagnosis. The capsule is designed to pass naturally through your body and is typically excreted within a few days. In many patients the capsule is excreted without the patient’s knowledge. If you do not see the passage of the capsule in your stool within 2 weeks of the procedure you should contact your doctor to confirm its passage with an x-ray.
How Painful Is Small Bowel Capsule Endoscopy?
Under normal circumstances the procedure is painless, and does not require sedation, making it safer and more convenient than traditional endoscopy.
Small Bowel Capsule Endoscopy is an advanced and patient-friendly procedure that helps doctors investigate gastrointestinal issues without requiring invasive methods. By capturing detailed images of the small intestine, this technology allows for more accurate diagnoses and better treatment planning for gastrointestinal conditions.
