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What Is A Capsule Endoscopy?

BRAVO™ Esophageal pH Capsule

If stomach acid regurgitates into your esophagus, you can experience heartburn, belching, and pain. This ailment, known as gastroesophageal reflux or “GERD,” can also cause hoarseness, asthma, or coughing and the annoying need to clear your throat.

“Esophageal pH monitoring” is the test that we use to measure the acid that you reflux into the esophagus.

Other physicians outside of NYGA may perform the conventional method of esophageal pH monitoring, by passing a long catheter with two acid sensors located at its tip through your nostril into the esophagus, and then leaving this in place for 24 hours.

At NYGA, we offer an easier, more comfortable method. We easily affix a newly-developed, pillsized acid sensor called “BRAVO™” to your esophagus. The painless, unobtrusive capsule transmits information by radio signal to a small receiver which you wear on your belt. We use the information to tailor your treatment to help eliminate heartburn, belching, and regurgitation.

The BRAVO™ capsule provides you with the comfort and freedom to go about your usual activities during the 48 hour study period. Within several days, the capsule dislodges painlessly from the esophagus and passes naturally out of the body in the stool.

Wireless Capsule Endoscopy M2A™ Capsule

Using past methods, physicians were only able to observe the first 1 to 2 feet of your small intestine, while the remaining 15 feet was not accessible. As hailed on ABC’s 20/20 and on the front page of The Wall Street Journal, the revolutionary M2A™ capsule made by Given Imaging, Inc is a pill-sized, easily-swallowed camera which travels effortlessly through your entire small intestinal tract. During the voyage, the camera captures approximately 55,000 pictures of your small intestinal lining and transmits the pictures to a small receiver on your belt.

The single-use capsule passes naturally and harmlessly out of your body within several days.

The capsule endoscope is superior to all other diagnostic techniques for the evaluation of:

internal bleeding of unknown cause
tumors of the small intestine
chronic diarrhea
Crohn’s disease involving the small intestine

Consistent with our commitment to being on the forefront of medical care, the physicians at NYGA were among the first in the Tri-State area to offer wireless capsule endoscopy, and we now have among the largest experiences with this technology in the New York metropolitan region. Thus, we can more quickly and expertly address your condition and keep you healthy. Because of our expertise, we have been called upon to teach other gastroenterologists around the country about M2A™ capsule.

Capsule Endoscopy Preparation Using Halflytely™

Download Capsule Endoscopy Preparation

Purchase:

One HalflytelyTM Bowel Prep Kit. Bring the doctor’s prescription that came with these instructions to your pharmacy at least 2 days before your colonoscopy appointment.

Preparing for your procedure:

In preparation for applying the adhesive sensors, male patients should shave their abdomen 6 inches above and below the navel.
In the evening before your procedure, prepare your HalflytelyTM Bowel Prep Kit solution according to the instructions on the package and refrigerate. You should fill the entire jug.
Limit yourself to a clear liquid diet 8 hours before the procedure. Clear liquids include black coffee, tea, soft drinks, strained fruit juices (no pulp), water, clear juice, bouillon/broths, popsicles, and Jell-O. Consume no liquids that are red or blue. Do not drink alcohol.
When starting the laxative, you should have easy access to a bathroom. You may experience diarrhea within 1 hour, but in some instances it takes more time for the laxative to work. The laxative dose does not vary according to weight or age.
The morning of your procedure (at least 4 hours before you plan to leave for your appointment), begin drinking the HalflytelyTM as instructed (8oz. every 10-15 minutes) until the bottle is half empty. (Rapidly drinking a glassful is better than sipping an ounce or two at a time.) Do not take the rest of the jug or the tablets that came with the kit. You may discard these.
Have nothing to eat or drink for 2 hours before your procedure.
Patients should dress in two piece attire, meaning no dresses, jumpers or overalls.

During the procedure:

For the first four hours after ingesting the capsule, you may take nothing by mouth. Thereafter, you may eat normally.
You should not touch the data recorder or the recording leads.
If there are questions regarding the procedure or symptoms such as pain or nausea, call our office immediately at (212) 996-6633.
You may not engage in exercise, but normal activities such as walking are permitted.
At no time during or after the examination may you go into or near an MRI machine.
8 hours after you swallow the capsule, you are required to return to our office for about 15 minutes. We will retrieve equipment, and the data from your study will be downloaded.

After the procedure:

At no time during or after the examination may you go into or near an MRI machine.
The capsule will pass spontaneously and painlessly in the stool. You may or may not be aware of the passage, and the capsule will be flushed away.
If at any point you experience pain or other problems, you are to call the office.
The gastroenterologist will complete the review of the images from the study, and you will be contacted as soon as the results are available.