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Thank you one and all who responded with your experiences on the Camera Pill Test. Here are the (8) responses I received:
Original Post:
I am not sure how many people are aware of this new test device- if anyone knows who is using it I'd like to know as I might be interested in getting it done myself.
There has been some media coverage of it a couple months ago but just ran across this article in Forbes Magazine so scanned it. Basically it is a small pill with wide angle lens and camera inside and transmitter that captures 50,000 photos as it travels all the way through your intestines. Images are stored on device attached to your waist or belt.
http://www.4001.com/celiac/pillcamera.jpg
If anyone has knowledge of it and the success of using it let me know.
Responses:
1. I haven't done it, but if you search the archives, someone here did
have it done and wrote it up. Everything I've heard about it is that it is
great.
2. Unfortunately, the damage caused by celiac isn't always visible and
biopsy samples are required to look for immune system changes in the cells.
Camera would be good for surveying areas of the bowel that can be scoped from
either end.
Most GIs in the US have a low expectation of finding celiacs and seem
to look at villi from a "it's looks pretty good" point of view. Celiac
researches approach it from the converse, looking for any deviations from normal.
Some ill-informed doctors (actually, of patients in our group) have gone
down with the scope & then said 'It didn't look that bad so I didn't takes any
samples." If you are going to get a endoscopic example, demand samples
be taken. (It's your body & your money, get what you pay for!)
Camera would be good for surveying areas of the bowel that can be
scoped from either end. Good test if you are having problems/symptoms that suggest you may something serious happening in that area.
3. I was thrilled at the thought of a non-invasive test after once having a miserable
sigmoidoscopy. I looked up the Given Imaging web site, and they have a
physician locator that will help you find a doctor in your area. I
tried it for myself and filled our their simple form--got an email less than
half a minute later with a list of the closest offices who have the
technology. Hope this helps! I'll put the links below for you:
http://www.givenimaging.com/usa/default.asp
http://www.givenimaging.com/usa/physician_locator.asp?lang=english
4. I read an article about the camera pill a week
before I first saw a GI about potential celiac
disease (I have since been diagnosed). I asked
him about it when he was telling me about the
colonoscopy and endoscopy I would soon be having.
What he said was, an experienced GI doc would
rather use a device he can manipulate himself
that would allow him to take a closer look at
problems and biopsies where he saw possible
problems. He said there was no way this pill
could replace either test for that reason alone.
He also said that the image was often compromised
by the strobe light which threw very dark
shadows. The most convincing argument, however,
is that you have to do the full colonoscopy prep,
and nobody would want to do that twice, because
once problems were found, you often have to go
back in for biopsy.
However, since joining my support group
http://forums.delphiforums.com/celiac/start
I have learned from the two doctors there, that
neither the endoscope, nor the colonoscope
reaches the last part of the small intestine,
called the ilium. Perhaps this camera pill would
give a better idea to celiacs who don't have
damage in the first to sections of the intestine
what is going on. I realize photos don't compare
to biopsies, but my doc explained that the
reflections given by the light in the scope
indicated a flatness in my procedure that
reflected like lineoleum as opposed to shag
carpet.
5. Dr. Joseph Murray from Mayo talked about it at last years CSA/USA
meeting. His eyes just glowed when he spoke about how well the villi
showed up with this camera. Tried to get one in St. Louis; however,
they are now only using it if there is bleeding involved (At Barnes-Jewish
Hosp.) Cost about $3000 and not covered by many insurance companies.
6. Dr. Peter Green, who runs the Celiac Center at Columbia University, is interested in doing a study with the camera that you swallow. I don't know if he has any actual experience with it yet, but when I saw him, he spoke about the study he would like to do with that device. You might want to contact him to talk about it.
7. The camera pill test is called the Given capsule. My GI doctor gave it
to me as part of an experimental study in January in order to exclude any
other differential diagnosis. I think it is now available to the masses but
may not be covered by insurance. He was suspecting Chrohn's but found that
I had a normal ileum with this test. You only need to fast about 8 hours
but he told me if I wanted him to view my colon, I had to fast almost 40
hours. I was already weakened and had lost almost 20 percent of my weight from
CD so 40 hours took it's toll of me. And what little of my colon was
viewable was normal but I wished he could have seen more but part of the problem
is the test is only 8 hours of tape and the capsule took 11 hours to pass
thru my entire GI tract. However, the capsule stayed so long in my stomach
that my doctor was able to note that I had slow stomach emptying which he
says can cause further malabsorption because the food sitting in the
stomach breeds bacteria, produces gases , and disrupts the pH environment of
both the stomach and small bowel; For me, this observation explained and
validated why, the gluten challenges directed by my doctor caused me to
have extreme fullness and severe stomach spasms and quivering such that I
was bearly able to eat or drink even though I had intense and chronic
hunger. It's an added complementary tool for doctors when faced with a number
of overlapping possible diagnoses.
8. I am having the small capsule imaging test done in 2 weeks. Please be
advised that it is not a substitute for the EGD, but rather to search
for any other maladies such as intestinal ulcers, inflamation etc.
Sincerely,
Dave
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