Capsule Endoscopy Safe For Patients With Implantable Cardiac Devices

Medical News Today
27th October 2009




A study of patients with implantable cardiac devices such as pacemakers, implantable defibrillators or left ventricular assist devices found that performing capsule endoscopy in these patients is safe and that the devices in general do not interfere with images captured by the capsule.

Capsule endoscopy is a diagnostic study of the small intestine by a miniature wireless camera swallowed by the patient. As the capsule travels through the digestive tract, images are transmitted to a recorder worn by the patient around the waist. Capsule endoscopy represents a breakthrough in the diagnosis of the small intestine, an area that is not easily reached with traditional endoscopy.

"Our assessment did not reveal any interference on the implanted cardiac device in patients undergoing capsule endoscopy," said Dr. Lucinda Harris from the Mayo Clinic Arizona. She presented her paper, "Does the beat go on? Does the video still play? Results from the largest series to date on the safety of capsule endoscopy in patients with implantable cardiac devices," at the Annual Scientific Meeting of the American College of Gastroenterology in San Diego, CA.