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 A video camera you can swallow allows doctors to see inside the esophagus
• Painless
• Non-invasive
• No radiation
• No scope, no sedation
• FDA approved
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Capsule Endoscopy is a revolutionary new technology that gives our physicians a non-invasive, office-based alternative for viewing the inside of your esophagus. In many cases, instead of undergoing an upper endoscopy – which involves general sedation – you can simply swallow a wireless video camera about the size of a large vitamin. As it travels down your esophagus and into your stomach, the capsule records images and transmits them to a recording device. About 20 minutes later, your doctor will have enough images to make an evaluation.
This new tool can help our doctors diagnose and evaluate diseases of the esophagus, including GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease), erosive esophagitis, and Barrett’s esophagus without the use of a traditional endoscope.
What is the PillCam ESO?
Midwest Gastroenterology uses the PillCam ESO (esophagus) capsule endoscopy system developed by Given Imaging.
The PillCam ESO is a smooth plastic capsule with two tiny cameras and internal lights, one at each end, capable of taking about 2,600 pictures of the esophagus in just a few minutes. Patients can have the procedure done in the physician’s office, and you can immediately resume your daily activities once the procedure is completed.
When you arrive, you’ll have a few sensors attached to your body, and put on a belt containing the data recorder and its battery pack. You swallow the capsule – about the size of a multivitamin – with a glass of water, and the capsule glides down your esophagus, taking about 14 pictures a second, which are immediately transmitted to the recording devise. The disposable capsule is passed out painlessly, usually within 24-72 hours
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What is an Upper Endoscopy?
With a traditional upper endoscopy (EGD), a slender tube is inserted into the patient’s mouth and down through the esophagus into the stomach. The tube also has a lighted camera which can transmit live video. A numbing agent is usually sprayed into the mouth and throat, and sedation is often required. This means it will take several hours, including preparation, the procedure itself, and recovery from anesthesia.
Sometimes an EGD is still the best procedure for diagnosing a problem, and we will continue to perform them when appropriate. But when the problem can be just as easily examined using the PillCam, it is certainly faster, easier and more convenient.
Let us help you verify insurance coverage
As is the case with most new diagnostic procedures, not all insurance companies are currently reimbursing for this procedure, so you may want to check with our Business Office (816-836-2200) or your health insurance representative to verify your coverage.
Q: What is the PillCam ESO capsule?
A: The wireless capsule is 11 x 26 mm (about the size of a large vitamin) and has a super-smooth coating on it that makes it very easy to swallow. It contains two color video cameras, LED lights, batteries and a wireless transmitter. Images are transmitted to a data recorder worn by the patient.
Q: Will I have to spend all day at the doctor’s office?
A: No! You will need to come to our office to swallow the capsule and let us attach the sensors to your body. You will wear a lightweight belt containing a data recorder about the size of a portable CD player that will receive information from the capsule throughout its brief journey. The entire procedure takes only about 20 minutes, after which we remove the equipment and retrieve the data, and you go on with your day.
Q: What can I expect?
A: The morning of the test, you will need to fast for about 2 hours, to ensure that your esophagus is empty and the camera will have a clear view of its lining. On the day of the procedure, you will come to Midwest Gastroenterology, where our staff will apply adhesive sensors to your abdomen, and help you put on a belt containing the data recorder. You will swallow the camera while lying on your back; after that you will be raised by 30-degree angles every two minutes for six minutes, until you are sitting upright. When the procedure is over, we will remove the data recorder and sensors and download your data into our computers for further analysis. The disposable capsule will pass naturally through your system within 24 hours.
Q: Will my insurance pay for this?
A: Millions of people in the US, and in a number of European countries, already have insurance coverage for capsule endoscopy. Some of the largest non-Medicare payers in the US now cover capsule endoscopy, including Aetna, Blue Cross & Blue Shield, and Oxford Health. We recommend contacting your insurance carrier for prior authorization to verify coverage prior to a procedure. Our Business Office can assist you (816-836-2200), or you can call the Given Imaging (the PillCam manufacturer) Helpline at 1-888-389-5200 for claims assistance. Given Imaging has implemented a dedicated reimbursement helpline to provide assistance for this process.
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