Capsule endoscopy
also known as capsule enteroscopy or small bowel endoscopy, a tiny camera captures images of your digestive tract.
The process of study
The patient swallows a single-use sterile video capsule, which naturally passes through the esophagus, stomach, duodenum, small intestine, colon, rectum and automatically takes color pictures. For 8 hours of operation, the capsule takes about 65 thousand high-quality images, which are encoded and automatically sent to the recording device in a special vest, worn on the patient. At the end of the study, the capsule leaves the body naturally, and the video information from the image recording device is transferred to a computer. With the help of a special program, the endoscopist looks through the received images, evaluates the received video information and makes a diagnostic conclusion.
Capsule endoscopy makes it possible to examine the small intestine
Video capsule allows getting real-time photos of the mucous membrane inside the small intestine that were previously not available for standard methods of intestinal examination. Capsule endoscopy is the primary method for examining patients with gastrointestinal bleeding of unknown nature, when, during gastroscopy and colonoscopy, they do not find the cause of the patient’s pathological condition. Capsular endoscopy has been proven to be effective in detecting tumors and polyps of the small intestine when computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and radiological examination methods are not informative.
The study is carried out during one day in the comfortable conditions of ADONIS Clinic and does not exceed 9 hours. After completion of the procedure, a patient returns to regular life.
ADONIS uses innovative medical equipment “OMOM Capsule Endoscopy System” manufactured by Chongqing Jinshan Science & Technology Group Co., Ltd.
Advantages of capsular endoscopy
- Comfortable and painlessness procedure:
– capsule endoscopy does not cause pain or discomfort and does not require pain relief;
- Safety:
– during the study there are no harmful effects on the human body;
– video capsule is single-use and sterile, so the introduction of infection is impossible;
- Convenience:
– during capsular endoscopy, the patient can freely move around, watch TV, use a phone, etc.;
- Informational content:
– capsule endoscopy is used to diagnose diseases of the esophagus, stomach, small and large intestines;
– capsular endoscopy is the best modern method for examining the small intestine. Video capsule endoscopy is highly informative in identifying the causes of latent gastrointestinal bleeding, tumors, etc.;
– the effectiveness of studies using a video capsule is superior to the effectiveness of MRI diagnostics for the detection of intestinal polyps from 5 to 15 mm, while polyps less than 5 mm are detected only by a video capsule;
– increasing the image of villi of the small intestine by 8 times, capsular endoscopy provides a high-quality assessment of the intestinal mucosa and is the “gold standard” for the diagnosis of celiac disease – a dangerous disease of the small intestine, which leads to disability and death of patients without specific treatment.
Indications for capsular endoscopy:
- anemia and/or gastrointestinal bleeding of unknown origin
- diagnosed or suspected Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, celiac disease, enteritis, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
- detection of specific helminths
- suspected benign (polyps) and malignant tumors of the small intestine, including GIST and neuroendocrine
- abdominal pain of unknown reason
- prolonged diarrhea and weight loss
- preventive studies of the gastrointestinal tract (esophagus, stomach, duodenum, small intestine)
Contraindications to the use of capsular endoscopy:
- acute intestinal obstruction
- perforation of the hollow abdominal organ, peritonitis
- implanted pacemaker
- swallowing disorder
- patients in the acute phase of a non-specific inflammatory disease of the large intestine, radiation colitis, active dysentery, etc.
- hypersensitivity to polymeric materials
- patients under 16 years old and over 70 years old
- pregnancy
