Capsule/camera endoscopy?

Can anyone tell me what the actual procedure is for this? I am specifically wondering why my mother would need to be sedated to swallow it...

Lora

Is it for her endoscope and  colonoscopy?  I wanted to have this done on my last one because it sees everything.   I couldn't have it due to diverticulitis.  The Dr said it would probably get stuck.  It is a great way to do the procedure for those who can have it.

They have already checked as far as they could from both ends, but she is still having intermittent pain (fortunately, not severe... yet) and occasional bleeding.

Lora

Hmmm.... I'm not sure what this is, but I did have a special procedure where a teeny little robot had to be placed in my esophagus to monitor for stomach acid, it was conscious sedation with verced/fentanyl. I remember I had to keep a diary of what I ate while the robot was "live" before it would detach and self-destruct in my guts. Most people, I was told, didnt' even know it was in there -- which was good, since if it interferes with you eating normally it's not going to get the data it needs. I got mine the day before Thanksgiving (pre-op) and that sucker caused the worst esophageal spasms.... I couldn't eat anything until it passed through my system (about 36 hours after they said it would) Yuck.

Of course mine wasn't a camera robot, it was an acid detector. But if the little camera capsule is going to be fixed at some point so it can do it's spy biz for a while, perhaps that is why?

that sounds like the 24 hour PH probe but I never heard of it with little robots.  They put a tube down your nose into your esophagus to  a certain point   and ultimately into the stomach - they measure where your LES is during a menometry another reflux test they do first and go a little further.  You were the little box like a holter monitor and the wires that go down your nose are little computers that are hooked up to the box computing your acid levels for 24 hours - you have to keep telling it what you are doing  - eating, lying down, standing up, drinking. choking. coughing  =then when it is done, you go back to the hospital or center that put it in and they download the information and you get tons of graphs with alot of informaiton.  It determines if you have reflux and what causes it and when.  It is a great tests - and very accurant.

this is totally different that the test she is talking about - that one you swallow a pill and as the pill goes down it takes thousands of pictures of pictures of your insides

Lora,
I recently had this procedure and it was fairly simple. A capsule had to be swallowed, but event after my RNY that was no issue at all. A recording device is carried around for the day. It looks like a camera case or a portable heart monitoring device.

Honestly I don't know why they would need to sedate her unless she is unable to swallow a normal sized capsule on her own.

Ken

that is interesting that you had it - I actually asked my Gastro doctor about it a few months ago when I was having severe pain that we didn't know where it was coming from and I had had an illiostomy last winter, so I thought a test to check my small intestines would be a good idea.

when  I asked him, he said he couldnt do it after my RNY.  He said there is a chance that the pill which is large can get stuff at one of the stomas (upper connection or one of the lower connections) and also if the pill traveled the wrong route and somehow got into the area of our intestines that have been rerouted - it is possible, either of these possibilties could be a cause to need surgery to fix which he didn't feel the need to risk more surgery.  So, I didnt get the test.

The camera passes thru your digestive system taking,photos that are recorded on the device that is carried around. It takes about 8 hours in full depending on the speed of digestion. The camera capsule passes out in the stool within a few days.

I agree with Ken, sounds a little off to sedate someone to swallow a pill, no matter what size it is. Our hospital doesn't do the camera scopes yet, although it sounds like a preferable way to go IMHO!

No there is no need to be sedated - you literally just swallow a pill and get a box like a halter monitor attached to you.

After you swallow the pill and the box is attached, the pill starts to go through the digestive system and takes thousands of pictures - mainly of the small intestines but it checks everything.
After several hours, the camera makes it way through your system taking all the pictures depending on how fast your system goes but it can take days to come out in your stool.

When I asked for the test - he said he was afraid to do it on me - he said the pill could get stuck in either the top stoma or one at the bottom connections. He also said the pill could get lost in the area where the intestines were rerouted - if when it gets to the bottom and it goes up the wrong way or the wrong direction anywhere else, it could get stuff and be a cause for surgery to retrieve it and didn't feel it was worth the risk..

Now that I hear he had it am wondering how many postops have actually had it.