What is a Capsule Endoscopy

At Mesa GI, a small bowel capsule endoscopy is generally done to identify the main cause of unexplained bleeding or anemia. It can be used to access the small bowel and to assess the reasons behind an atypical x-ray, diarrhea, or abdominal pain. Contact our Mesa GI team in Mesa, AZ to request a capsule endoscopy to maintain the health of your digestive system.

• You will receive clear preparation instructions from your Mesa GI physician.
• Most patients can eat normally the day before the Capsule Endoscopy.
• Do not eat or drink anything after 7:00 p.m. the night before the exam.
• It is important to follow all instructions from your specialist carefully.
• Additional guidance will be given regarding medications.
• Most medications can be resumed a few hours after swallowing the capsule.
• Patients on blood thinners (e.g., Plavix®, Coumadin®, warfarin, aspirin) or with diabetes will receive specific instructions.

• Arrive at Mesa GI 30 minutes before your scheduled exam to complete paperwork and prepare for the procedure.
• You’ll be asked to wear a vest that holds monitors to capture images.
• After the vest is on, the pill capsule will be activated and given to you to swallow.
• Once swallowed, you may leave the center and continue with your day.
• Wear the vest for the next eight hours to collect data.
• You can drink clear liquids two hours after swallowing the capsule.
• A normal meal is allowed after four hours.
• After eight hours, you return to Mesa GI to have the vest removed.
• To learn more or to schedule your Capsule Endoscopy, contact our Mesa GI team.

After the procedure is finished, the images are downloaded to a software program that creates a “movie” of your small intestine. It could take your specialist a number of hours to completely view these images, so results are usually available within a week. You will get a call from Mesa GI with the Capsule Endoscopy results.

In general, the small bowel capsule endoscopy is a very safe process. Overall, complications develop in fewer than 1% of individuals. Typically, these complications are not life-threatening, still, if a complication occurs, it might require a hospital stay and surgery. Before the exam, a consent form will be discussed with the patient by the Mesa GI team.

One possible risk is that the pill capsule could get caught in the intestine, resulting in a blockage. This would likely require surgery, and a hospital stay.

It is very important to contact us immediately if any symptoms arise after the Capsule Endoscopy, such as worsening abdominal pain, fever, or bleeding.

As with any other medical procedure, a small bowel Capsule Endoscopy is not flawless. There is a small, acknowledged risk that abnormalities, including cancers, may go undetected during the procedure. It is important to maintain follow-ups with your doctor as directed and make him/her aware of any ongoing or new symptoms.

Any alternative testing options will be based on why you needed a Capsule Endoscopy to start with. In most cases, an EGD is the ideal approach to evaluate issues in the small intestine. However, an x-ray referred to as a small-bowel-follow-through may be employed to assess the small intestine as well. An Enteroscopy exam can also be used to evaluate the upper part of the small bowel and can be used for therapy.