Capsule Endoscopy in Okeechobee, FL

Capsule endoscopy is a painless way to examine the small intestine using a tiny camera inside a capsule you swallow. The capsule is about the size of a large vitamin. Once swallowed with water, it travels naturally through your digestive tract, taking thousands of pictures as it goes. The capsule has its own tiny light source and battery, and it is designed to pass safely through the digestive tract. Those images are transmitted wirelessly to a small recorder you wear during the day, usually on a belt or in a pouch. There is no scope, no sedation, and no need to stay in the office — after swallowing the capsule, you go about a modified day and return the recorder when the study is finished.

Capsule endoscopy is most often used when the small intestine needs to be examined and standard upper endoscopy and colonoscopy have not found the cause. It can help find the source of small bowel bleeding and iron-deficiency anemia when no source has been identified, and it can show inflammation that suggests Crohn’s disease or other small bowel inflammation. It is particularly valuable when bleeding has been seen on other tests but the exact location remains unclear, because the pictures show precisely where in the small intestine the problem lies. It can also detect small intestine tumors and polyps, and it can reveal complications of celiac disease. Because the capsule sees the entire length of the small intestine, it can find problems in areas that a standard scope cannot reach.

On the morning of the study, you come to the office and swallow the capsule with water. Sensors are placed on your abdomen and connected to the recorder, which you wear for the rest of the day. You can go about a modified day — walking, resting, and eating and drinking as instructed — while the capsule moves through your system taking pictures. You will be given instructions about what you can eat and drink during the study and when you can resume your normal diet. Later in the day, or the next morning as directed, you return the recorder to the office. The capsule itself passes naturally in your stool, usually within a day or two, and it usually does not need to be retrieved.

Preparation usually involves fasting before the study, and sometimes a bowel preparation to clear the small intestine so the pictures are as clear as possible. Our office will give you exact instructions when you schedule, including when to stop eating and drinking and what medicines to pause. One important limitation: the capsule can take pictures, but it cannot take biopsies or provide treatment. If the study finds something that needs a closer look or treatment, Dr. Tarugu may recommend a follow-up procedure such as an endoscopy, colonoscopy, or balloon-assisted enteroscopy. Most patients tolerate the study very well, and complications are uncommon. Results are reviewed once the images are downloaded and examined, and Dr. Tarugu will discuss what was found and the next steps with you.

To schedule capsule endoscopy at our Okeechobee office, call Gastro in Florida at (863) 824-3447.