Wireless capsule endoscopy is a non-invasive procedure that uses a mini video camera inside a capsule to explore the gastrointestinal tract, including the small intestine. Patients must prepare by clearing their digestive tract, and the procedure takes about 24 hours. It can diagnose various digestive system disorders, but it has limitations, including the inability to perform therapeutic procedures and potential blockages in patients with internal scarring.
A wireless capsule endoscopy is a diagnostic medical procedure used to explore the gastrointestinal tract, including the esophagus, stomach, duodenum, and colon. Wireless capsule endoscopy allows the patient to swallow a capsule in which a mini video camera is placed that records images of the digestive tract. The wireless capsule endoscope offers an important advantage over similar methods of exploring the digestive tract, as it can also be used to view the small intestine.
Before a patient ingests a wireless capsule endoscopy camera, they must undergo certain procedures or take certain pills, to ensure that the digestive tract is free of food and is as clean as possible. This is important because it ensures that the camera is capable of recording sharp images. To clear the digestive tract the patient may be asked to use laxative or purgative pills and undergo an enema.
During the wireless capsule endoscopy procedure, the patient ingests a capsule that is slightly larger than those normally used for medications. Along with the mini-camera, the capsule contains batteries, a light bulb and a radio transmitter. The unit records images as it moves through the digestive tract and these are transmitted to a receiver that the patient wears while the capsule is in operation. The process will take approximately 24 hours, after which the photos are downloaded to a computer for review. Once the patient has passed the capsule, it is simply washed away; the capsules are not reused.
Wireless capsule endoscopy can be used to diagnose a variety of digestive system disorders. These include several types of cancer, including small bowel cancer, colon cancer, and other gastrointestinal tract cancers. Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, stomach ulcers and other irritable bowel diseases can also be diagnosed using this method.
Despite the usefulness of this procedure, the wireless capsule endoscope has some serious limitations and drawbacks. One of the most significant problems is that the use of this tool does not allow to carry out therapeutic procedures. During a standard colonoscopy, for example, a doctor can take biopsy samples if needed, but that’s not possible when using a wireless capsule endoscope.
Another distinct disadvantage is that the capsule moves slowly but steadily through the digestive tract under normal circumstances. This does not allow the doctor to look more closely at areas where signs of disease may be present. A related problem is that the movement of the capsule may be too slow and the batteries in the unit may fail before the capsule is able to examine the entire digestive tract.
Patients who have had surgery or an illness that may have caused internal scarring may be prone to an additional problem. Scarring can cause blockage of the capsule, particularly in the small intestine, which is much narrower than the rest of the digestive tract. In these cases patients are asked to swallow an empty capsule as a test to make sure the camera is able to move correctly.
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