Modern endoscopy techniques have revolutionized the diagnosis and treatment of diseases of the upper gastrointestinal tract (esophagus, stomach, and duodenum) and the colon. The last remaining frontier has been the small intestine. The small intestine has been a difficult organ in which to make diagnoses and treat without performing surgery. Radiological procedures, specifically the upper GI, which involves following swallowed barium as it passes through the intestine with x-ray films, have been available for diagnosis but these radiological procedures are time-consuming and are not accurate in identifying small tumors and other subtle abnormalities of the small intestine.
One of the newer technologies that expands the diagnostic capabilities in the small intestine is capsule endoscopy also known as wireless capsule endoscopy. Capsule endoscopy is a technology that uses a swallowed video capsule to take photographs of the inside of the esophagus, stomach, and small intestine. For capsule endoscopy, patients must undergo the same preparation protocol as with a colonoscopy. Then a large capsule, larger than the largest pill, is swallowed by the patient. The capsule contains one or two video cameras, a light bulb, a battery, and a radio transmitter. As the capsule travels through the esophagus, stomach, and small intestine, it takes photographs rapidly. The photographs are transmitted by the radio transmitter to a small receiver that is worn on the waist of the patient who is undergoing the capsule endoscopy. At the end of the procedure, approximately 24 hours later, the photographs are downloaded from the receiver into a computer and the images are reviewed by a physician. The capsule is passed by the patient into the toilet and flushed away. Capsule endoscopy is usually initiated in the doctor’s office.
Capsule endoscopy helps doctors see inside the small intestine — an area that isn’t easily reached with more-traditional endoscopy procedures. Traditional endoscopy involves passing a long, flexible tube equipped with a video camera down the patient’s throat or through the patient’s rectum. Capsule endoscopy is sometimes also referred to as capsule arthroscopy or small bowel endoscopy.