Conditions & Investigations

Video Capsule Endoscopy

Video Capsule Endoscopy

Capsule endoscopy is used to examine the 2 metres of small intestine that cannot be visualized with a gastroscopy or colonoscopy

Capsule Endoscopy involves swallowing a small (the size of the large vitamin pill) capsule, which contains a colour camera, battery, light source and transmitter. The camera takes multiple pictures per second for eight hours, wirelessly transmitting images to a data recorder about the size of a portable CD player that patients wear around the waist.

Capsule endoscopy assists in diagnosing gastrointestinal conditions such as the cause of bleeding from the gastrointesintal tract when a gastroscopy and colonoscopy have been normal, chronic abdominal pain and chronic diarrhoea.

Once swallowed the camera moves naturally through the digestive tract while patients carry out their normal activities. Approximately eight hours after ingesting the camera, patients return the recording device to their doctor or nurse so the images can be downloaded to a computer and evaluated. The Capsule is disposable and will be excreted naturally in your bowel movement.