Capsule endoscopy uses a camera the size of a large vitamin pill. You swallow it with water, and as it travels naturally through your digestive system it takes thousands of pictures of the small intestine, the long middle section of the gut that standard endoscopes cannot easily reach.
The images are transmitted to a small recorder you wear during the day. The capsule itself is disposable: it leaves your body in a bowel movement, usually within a day or two, and is not retrieved.
Why it is recommended
Your gastroenterologist may recommend capsule endoscopy when the source of a problem seems to lie in the small intestine — for example, unexplained bleeding or iron-deficiency anemia after a normal upper endoscopy and colonoscopy, suspected Crohn's disease of the small bowel, or the need to check for small-intestine polyps or tumors.
How to prepare
You will typically stop eating the evening before the test, and your doctor may prescribe a light prep so the images are clear. Ask which of your medicines you should take that morning.
Tell your care team if you have trouble swallowing, previous abdominal surgery, a known narrowing of the bowel, or an implanted heart device such as a pacemaker; these are all things your doctor weighs beforehand.
On the day of the test
At the office you will swallow the capsule with a sip of water and be fitted with the small recorder, worn on a belt or over the shoulder. You can then leave and go about a quiet, normal day.
Your instructions will say when you may drink clear liquids and eat a light snack, usually a few hours in. Avoid strenuous exercise, and do not schedule an MRI until you are sure the capsule has passed.
Afterward and results
You will return the recorder at the end of the day, usually after about eight hours. There is no sedation and no recovery time, so most people work or run errands as usual while wearing it.
Reviewing many thousands of images takes time, so expect results in the days that follow rather than the same day. If you have not seen the capsule pass, or you develop abdominal pain, bloating, or vomiting, contact your care team; rarely, an X-ray is used to confirm the capsule has left the body.
Questions about your care?
This page is general education, not personal medical advice. Your care team is happy to talk through what it means for you.
Preparing for a procedure? See preparation instructions