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A capsule endoscopy allows your child’s doctor to see inside parts of the small intestine that cannot be examined with a regular endoscope during an upper endoscopy or colonoscopy.
A video capsule the size of a large vitamin or pill is swallowed. The camera takes tens of thousands of photos of the small intestine as it travels through the digestive tract. This takes about eight to 12 hours. The pictures are transmitted to a data recorder that your child wears around his or her waist. The capsule passes out of the body through the stool after one to three days.
The images captured by the capsule are downloaded to a computer and reviewed by your child’s doctor.
Capsule endoscopy is used by doctors at Riley at IU Health to find out the cause of symptoms such as blood in the stool and diarrhea. The test is helpful in making a diagnosis and monitoring a number of conditions, including Crohn's disease and gastrointestinal bleeding.
Capsule endoscopy is a painless procedure that can even be used with young children depending on their age and size. If the capsule is too big for a small child to swallow, the doctor may place it inside the body with an endoscope.
The day before your child’s capsule endoscopy procedure:
You can expect the following during a capsule endoscopy procedure:
Once you and your child return home, you should follow these guidelines:
In addition to our primary hospital location at the Academic Health Center in Indianapolis, IN, we have convenient locations to better serve our communities throughout the state.
Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
11725 N Illinois St
Carmel, IN 46032
