Capsule Endoscopy
To have a capsule endoscopy, patients simply swallow a capsule which contains a miniaturized camera and light source. The capsule is the size of a vitamin pill and is taken with some water. Capsule endoscopy is comfortable and painless and no sedation or analgesia is required.
The capsule passes naturally through the digestive tract over an 8 hour period taking 2 pictures per second. Images are transmitted to data recorder worn by the patient. These are then downloaded to a special workstation and reported by the doctor.
Capsule endoscopy is useful for the investigation of a number of conditions such as iron deficiency anaemia, obscure gastrointestinal bleeding, suspected Crohn’s disease, small bowel tumours, chronic abdominal pain and disorders that cause malabsorption and diarrhoea such as Coeliac disease.
This test is now available for patients at the Princess Grace Hospital. More information is available at www.capsuleendoscopylondon.com