Capsule endoscopy of the small intestine
In some cases, a tiny capsule is used to examine the small intestine. It is 26 by 11 millimetres in size and can be ingested directly. It contains the latest technology for endoscopy. It contains a chip camera, a light source, a transmitter and batteries. As it passes through the digestive tract, it transmits two images per second for over eight hours.
The capsule passes through the gastrointestinal tract and is excreted naturally via the bowel. It is of course not reused. It can only be used to examine patients who are not at risk of intestinal obstruction. The images are stored by a recording device that the patient carries in a belt during the examination. A computer program then visualizes the film for evaluation. The procedure is most frequently used in patients with unexplained bleeding from the small intestine.
Before the examination
Patients must be fasting and should have drunk around two liters of an intestinal lavage solution so that the deeper sections of the small intestine can also be easily assessed. The examination can be carried out on an outpatient basis. However, a declaration of assumption of costs from the health insurance company must then be available.