Capsule Endoscopy

The following are some of the preparatory steps to be taken before capsule endoscopy:

• The patient should fast overnight. No food or drinks allowed at least before 12 hours of the procedure.
• The procedure should be planned the first thing in the morning
• The patient should choose to wear a loose, long and preferable a cotton T-shirt so that the adhesive sensors can be placed in the abdominal area
• Some patients are advised to take magnesium citrate evening before the procedure to help clear bowel
• Iron-containing supplements must be stopped a few days before the procedure as it can interfere with the passage of the capsule
• Strenuous exercising must be stopped 2 days before the procedure
• Collect all important papers, ID card, and health insurance to be taken to the hospital
• If the chest and the abdomen are hairy, you may be asked to shave it off before the sensors are placed

Capsule endoscopy is an advanced endoscopic technology that uses a swallowed camera-enabled capsule. This capsule takes the pictures of the GI tract from the inside until it is finally eliminated naturally from the body. As the capsule moves, the pictures are transmitted to a receiver, which is worn by the patient at waist level in the form of a belt. The process continues for 8 hours.

Recovery after capsule endoscopy is painless and simple. Patients should wait for at least two hours before they start drinking clear fluids after swallowing the capsule. A light snack or meal is allowed four hours after the capsule is taken.

The capsule eliminates by itself within 8 hours of ingestion. In some cases, it may be eliminated in the stool before that. The specialist can process the images from the received ties to the abdomen after 8 hours of before, depending on when the capsule is eliminated.