Pill camera technology at OMHS gives physicians an inside look

(from Vim & Vigor , Spring 2009)

Imagine if diagnosing a health problem were as easy as swallowing a pill. Thanks to new imaging technology at Owensboro Medical Health System, it can be.

This groundbreaking technology is called capsule endoscopy, or sometimes "the pill camera."

"Capsule endoscopy is the best diagnostic method for examining the small intestine," says John Hast, M.D., a gastroenterologist at OMHS, who says the pill camera technology has become the "gold standard" for diagnosing diseases in the small intestine.

Patients swallow the tiny device, which works quickly and easily. "The pill camera includes a battery, light source and a TV camera that takes two pictures per second as it naturally passes through the bowel," Hast says.

Before, a patient with abdominal pain or bleeding received an examination with a colonoscope or a long scope inserted through the mouth and throat. But neither method would allow doctors to completely examine the small intestine. Some patients even had to go to the operating room to have their abdomens opened surgically to have their intestine examined.

Everybody Wins

While patients and their families stand as the obvious benefactors of this high-tech imaging tool, physicians are quick to point out that they also benefit by being able to diagnose their patients more quickly. "If we find where the patient is bleeding, then we can direct treatment to that area sooner," Hast says.

According to Hast, capsule endoscopy can provide a diagnosis early on and help to guide subsequent treatment options. "A small percentage of patients have tumors in the bowel and we can spot them much earlier," he says. "This technology helps me better care for a patient."