Technology and your small intestine

So this is happening today.

My doctors still want to "see" what is causing my gastrointestinal issues. Truth be told, my surgeon actually wants this thing to get stuck so then when he opens me up he can see exactly where the constriction is. The tough thing with my issue is that externally the intestine looks fine, it's inside it is constricted. I should know either way in about 6-8 hours. If it passes through we'll have pictures. If it doesn't pass through I'll be on the operating table having my intestine shortened and then spending a week or so out of work. Either way, good times.

I had to drink some magnesium citrate at 6 AM so I just got up and came to work to get some stuff done before I swallow this horse pill around 9:30.

Not that you really want to know but I'll let you know how it comes out. (rimshot)

Last time I had magnesium citrate everything came out, in short order. For 2 days. The concept of trying to do anything shortly after drinking that is alien to me.

Good luck.

I'm glad they added disposable to the description. I'd just assumed you had to fish it out and pass it on to the next patient.

I thought they had to capture the device. My old gastro did not believe in them. He said someone (him) still had to sit down and watch the video. Too time-consuming. He could knock out a couple of colonoscopies in that time. Sounds like this is ideal for the OP's case though.

Good luck, we'll see you on the other side (and I suppose you'll see it on the other side too).

In reply to Huckleberry: Thanks for that.

I would have gone with

The capsule is actually really sci-fi looking. Curved glass lens surrounded by LED lights. You can easily imagine a small driver in there.

Does it have sound?

hobiercr wrote: The capsule is actually really sci-fi looking. Curved glass lens surrounded by LED lights. You can easily imagine a small driver in there.

If you start hearing voices, I'd take a closer look at that capsule.

When dad had his colonoscopy, I wanted to put a copy of the video on a DVD, label it "Journey to The Center of My Dad" and leave it for the kids to find.

If its transmitting wirelessly you should be able to get it on your phone! Live intestine viewing!!

Seriously though, I hope you get it all sorted out.

Colonoscopies can only go so far, typically large intestine only and an endoscopy only can make it past the stomach.... Leaves the small intestine unexplored until now.

May it pass without complications.

I had one of these done twice about 10 years ago. My first one never left my stomach until I ate something 6 hours later, so it took no usable pictures. The second time they placed it in my small intestine using an EGD scope. I wish you luck on it passing through!

Ranger50 wrote: Colonoscopies can only go so far, typically large intestine only and an endoscopy only can make it past the stomach.... Leaves the small intestine unexplored until now. May it pass without complications.

And this is why they are doing this particular test. The only other way to do it is with a double balloon endoscopy which is 16 ft long. Yikes!

One of the main reasons my surgeon wanted me to do this is because we all figured it would get stuck and then he would know where to go when he cut me open. Guess what? It passed through and when I got an X-Ray done this AM it showed the capsule in my colon. Hmmm, didn't see that happening.

Time to re-group and figure out what to do next. I'll speak with my gastroenterologist later today and see. I hate doing diagnostic work on intermittent systems.

You get to keep the camera?

Pics or it didn't happen.

In reply to Karacticus:

It hasn't "left the building" yet. If they had to do surgery I was going to ask for it back. Not sure how I feel about fishing it out myself.

hobiercr wrote:

Ranger50 wrote: Colonoscopies can only go so far, typically large intestine only and an endoscopy only can make it past the stomach.... Leaves the small intestine unexplored until now. May it pass without complications.

And this is why they are doing this particular test. The only other way to do it is with a double balloon endoscopy which is 16 ft long. Yikes! One of the main reasons my surgeon wanted me to do this is because we all figured it would get stuck and then he would know where to go when he cut me open. Guess what? It passed through and when I got an X-Ray done this AM it showed the capsule in my colon. Hmmm, didn't see that happening. Time to re-group and figure out what to do next. I'll speak with my gastroenterologist later today and see. I hate doing diagnostic work on intermittent systems.

They can get the end of the ileum with a colonoscopy and a moderate amount of the duodenum with an upper GI endoscopy, but yeah, a huge amount of the middle is unreachable without the double balloon. I'm told that's a much more significant procedure than either of the others.

I'm surprised they gave you the capsule if they were worried about it getting stuck, they've always told me that even if surgery is the right answer they don't want to be doing it on an emergency basis. (I've had Crohn's for 15 years, there's no way I'm ever getting a capsule).

The other procedure for looking at the small intestine involves barium and a fluoroscope.

codrus wrote: The other procedure for looking at the small intestine involves barium and a fluoroscope.

It's always been kind of amazing how in my wife's veterinary practice that the administration of barium for this kind of diagnostic turns out to be unexpected therapeutic.

In reply to hobiercr:

I bet you can part it out to get some of the surgery cost back.

Intestinal /GI camera capsule for sale. Used, as is, no title. When you mentioned that it had LED lights inside it I was reminded of the big yard toad that we spotted shortly after he had ingested a firefly. Hobiecr I hope everything comes out alright in the end.

(Rimshot) [Rimshot]

Fixed?

In reply to codrus:

In only one of three colonoscopies have they been able to get into my terminal ileum.

Nothing like suffering through a barium enema to find out you're not gay. Stupid thing is that was the first test I had done and was the one that said I had Crohns.