Capsule Endoscopy Wrocław

Capsule endoscopy is a test used to assess the small intestine, and in exceptional cases also the large intestine.

It involves the patient swallowing a small capsule with a camera and a light source, which, moving through the digestive tract, sends a signal to an external recorder and thus records the image of the interior of the digestive tract.

Due to the difficult access to the small intestine in endoscopic examinations (gastroscopy only allows viewing the duodenum, colonoscopy - the final section of the small intestine), this is the only examination that allows you to see the small intestine "from the inside". This is especially useful when the disease we suspect in a patient may be limited only to lesions visible in the mucosa.

In order perform the examination, the patient puts on a special belt with the receivers for the signals sent by the endoscopic capsule. The patient then swallows the capsule with a small amount of water and can go home or work. After 12 hours (this is how long the examination lasts), the belt is removed and the video recorded from the inside of the intestine can be evaluated by a doctor.

The capsule is the size of a larger tablet and is single-use. Inside the capsule there is a camera, a light source, a battery and a transmitter of signals that are received by sensors placed in the belt.

After swallowing, the capsule moves from the stomach to the duodenum, small and large intestines, and then is excreted in the feces.

We ask patients preparing for the examination to not eat anything for 24 hours preceding the examination. During this time, you can drink water, the last time no later than 4 hours before the test.

After the recording is completed, the patient is asked to return the recorder to the Melita Medical Center. The recording of the examination will be watched within a few days by our specialist and described accordingly.