Capsule Endoscopy

What is a capsule endoscopy?

A capsule endoscopy is a test healthcare providers use to look for problems in your digestive tract. It’s especially good at finding issues in your small intestine (small bowel). For this test, you swallow a capsule that’s about the size of a large vitamin tablet. The capsule has a transmitter, light and at least one tiny camera. Some capsules have more than one camera.

As the capsule moves through your digestive tract, the camera takes about 10,000 pictures. Your healthcare provider looks at the pictures and checks for problems inside your small intestine.

The capsule leaves your body in your poop, usually within 24 hours. You can flush the capsule down the toilet.

When you hear you have to swallow a camera, you might be shocked or even confused. But this isn’t your typical camera. It’s tiny and designed to work inside your body. It also lets your healthcare provider see areas of your small intestine that other diagnostic procedures might miss.

Why would my doctor order a capsule endoscopy?

Your healthcare provider may recommend a capsule endoscopy if you or your child has symptoms of gastrointestinal (GI) problems, including:

• Celiac disease
• Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), including ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease.
• Loss of blood from your intestines that can’t be explained through upper endoscopy and colonoscopy
• Polyps in your colon
• Tumors in your intestines (including benign tumors and malignant tumors)

Symptoms of these conditions and other bowel problems include:

• Abdominal cramping or pain
• Blood in your poop
• Diarrhea, gas and bloating
• Fatigue
• Nausea and vomiting
• Unexplained weight loss

Children and adults can have this procedure. If your child can’t swallow a pill, your healthcare provider can insert the capsule with an endoscopy.

How does a capsule endoscopy work?

Your healthcare provider gives you a capsule that’s about the size of a vitamin. Inside the capsule is a light, a transmitter and one or more tiny cameras. You swallow the capsule with water (just like you’d take a pill) and then return to your daily activities.

Your healthcare provider will give you a small recording device to wear, typically around your waist. The device receives pictures from the capsule’s transmitter and stores them so your provider can review them later. The device may be wired to your chest or abdomen using sticky pads that attach to your skin (nothing goes through your skin). Or the device may be completely wireless, which means you only have the device around your waist and no wires.

Over the next several hours:

1. Your digestive system moves the capsule through your esophagus (throat) and stomach, into your intestines. The capsule is sealed, so acids in your stomach can’t break it down like they break down food. The capsule doesn’t break or dissolve.
2. Cameras inside the capsule take about two pictures every second. The capsule’s transmitter sends these pictures to the recording device, which stores the pictures.
3. You return to your healthcare provider’s office the next day. If you had sticky pads on your skin, they’ll remove them and detach the wires. They’ll also collect the recording device.
4. The capsule leaves your body naturally when you have a bowel movement (poop). This usually happens within 24 hours, but can take longer. You may see the capsule in the toilet. It’s OK to flush it.
5. Your healthcare provider downloads the pictures and views them on a computer.

How do I prepare for the test?

Before a capsule endoscopy, you should:

• Avoid eating and drinking, as your stomach needs to be empty for the procedure. Usually, you must stop eating at least 12 hours before a capsule endoscopy. Your healthcare provider may give you instructions for bowel preparation before the test.
• Share your health history with your healthcare provider, including any surgeries or problems you’ve had in your intestines. Tell your provider if you have a pacemaker or defibrillator. These devices might interfere with the capsule’s ability to transmit the pictures.
• Tell your healthcare provider about any allergies you have or medications you take, including vitamins and supplements. You may need to adjust your dose or stop taking certain medications before the procedure.

What should I expect during the test?

You won’t be able to feel the capsule traveling through your digestive tract, and it shouldn’t be painful. After swallowing the capsule, you should:

• Not have an MRI until you’ve passed the capsule or get close to an MRI machine
• Take a break from sports, running, jumping or other strenuous physical activity until you’ve passed the capsule
• Drink only clear liquids (like water or black coffee) within the first two hours after swallowing the capsule

Ask your healthcare provider when you can start eating again. You may need to wait a few hours before having a meal.

Your healthcare provider may tell you to remove the recording device after several hours, or they may remove it for you when you return for a visit. Follow your provider’s instructions carefully. If you disconnect or remove the recording device before the test is complete, you could damage or erase the images.

What can I expect after a capsule endoscopy?

You’ll need to go back to your healthcare provider to give them the recording device you wore during the test. Once the testing period is over and they have the transmitter, they’ll review the images and let you know the findings.

There’s minimal to no recovery time after a capsule endoscopy.

What are the risks of this test?

A capsule endoscopy is a safe procedure, and complications are rare.

Sometimes, the capsule gets stuck in a narrower part of your intestines. This complication can happen in people who’ve had bowel surgery, inflammation or a tumor.

If you aren’t sure whether the capsule has passed, you may need an X-ray or CT scan to see if the capsule is still in your body. A capsule that doesn’t leave your body can cause a bowel obstruction, which can be serious.

What are the benefits of this test?

A capsule endoscopy spots bleeding and other problems in your digestive tract. It’s one of the only tests that helps your healthcare provider examine your whole small intestine. Other diagnostic procedures use a thin, flexible tube with a camera. This tube doesn’t reach your entire small intestine. But the capsule can. It takes pictures of your whole digestive tract, including parts of your small intestine that are hard to reach.

What type of results do you get with a capsule endoscopy?

Your healthcare provider views the images from the test. Things they may be looking for are bleeding, polyps or tumors, or inflammation. They’ll let you know what they find and recommend further testing or treatment based on what they see.

When should I know the results of the test?

Most test results are ready in about a week. Some results may take longer, though. Your healthcare provider will contact you to discuss your results.

How accurate is the test?

The test is generally good at detecting problems, but it’s not perfect. Its accuracy depends on the quality of the images the capsule can get, as well as the condition(s) your provider is evaluating.

When should I call my provider after a capsule endoscopy?

Call your healthcare provider right away if you have signs of an obstruction. These include:

• Abdominal pain, bloating or swelling
• Chest pain or difficulty swallowing
• Constipation
• Dehydration
• Fever
• Loss of appetite
• Nausea or vomiting