PillCam

Capsule Endoscopy with PillCam is an outpatient procedure which examines the small intestine. A PillCam is an 11mm x 26mm video capsule with its own camera and light source. It takes two pictures per second and generates more than 50,000 pictures in an eight hour period.

PillCam detects disorders of the small intestine such as Crohn's disease, small bowel tumors, small bowel injury due to non-steroidal anti-inflammatory use, and malabsorption disorders such as Celiac disease. PillCam does not require sedation. Patients begin a clear liquid diet at noon and a Miralax bowel prep at 4pm the day before the test. Nothing should be taken by mouth from 9pm the night before the test until the appointment time.

The morning of the PillCam, patients are seen by the PillCam nurse and are fitted with a sensor belt and data recorder to be worn for the eight hours of the test. The PillCam is swallowed with water. During the eight hours, patients can leave the endoscopy center and engage in normal daily activities. Eating and drinking resumes after four hours.

Patients return to the center after eight hours to return equipment, and the images are downloaded to a workstation to be viewed and interpreted by the gastroenterologist. PillCam exits the body through a normal bowel movement within a day or two.