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A new diagnostic tool being used by Pratt physicians is a tiny camera — but a big pill to swallow. Some patients might balk at swallowing an object an inch long by a little less than half an inch thick, but the data recovered can provide clues to symptoms they’re experiencing.
“There really is no (accurate) alternative,” said Dr. Daniel Suiter, a gastroenterologist with Pratt Internal Medicine Group and Pratt Regional Medical Center.
The traditional method of studying the small bowel has been with barium-contrast X-ray, which is not very specific or accurate, Suiter said. Both upper and lower endoscopies use cameras, but neither can “see” very far into the small intestine’s 14 feet of twists and turns. Ingesting a camera can provide the answers to unexplained bleeding and pain.
The technology has been around for a while — Suiter had the computer software and the hardware (the tiny camera) 10 years ago, but insurance companies weren’t reimbursing patients for its use, and it was expensive. A decade later, insurance will pay for its use in very specific instances. The hospital made the decision to buy the PillCam® for use by Suiter and general surgeon Dr. Jason Wiltshire.
After fasting for several hours, the patient checks into the hospital. Sensors are placed on the abdomen, then he or she swallows the capsule with a glass of water and goes about the business of the day. A receiver worn at the waist captures the images — two frames for every second. After eight hours the sensors and data recorder are removed and the capsule continues its passage through the digestive track.
The camera itself is a throw-away item, Suiter emphasized. The information on the recorder is previewed first by nurses in the hospital’s endoscopy department who indicate to him anything that looks unusual. The problem might be resolved by medication or by surgery.
“It’s totally changed the way we approach small bowel problems,” Suiter said.
The same software that analyzes data from the pill camera also monitors acid in the esophagus.
Acid reflux disease is fairly common, affecting up to 60 percent of Americans. There are “miracle drugs” to alleviate symptoms, Suiter said, but some people don’t want to take them for as long as 50 years, and some don’t get the relief they expect from the pills.
The Bravo pH Monitoring System, also new at PRMC, documents the severity of the disease so that it can be better controlled.
A new diagnostic tool being used by Pratt physicians is a tiny camera — but a big pill to swallow. Some patients might balk at swallowing an object an inch long by a little less than half an inch thick, but the data recovered can provide clues to symptoms they’re experiencing.
“There really is no (accurate) alternative,” said Dr. Daniel Suiter, a gastroenterologist with Pratt Internal Medicine Group and Pratt Regional Medical Center.
The traditional method of studying the small bowel has been with barium-contrast X-ray, which is not very specific or accurate, Suiter said. Both upper and lower endoscopies use cameras, but neither can “see” very far into the small intestine’s 14 feet of twists and turns. Ingesting a camera can provide the answers to unexplained bleeding and pain.
The technology has been around for a while — Suiter had the computer software and the hardware (the tiny camera) 10 years ago, but insurance companies weren’t reimbursing patients for its use, and it was expensive. A decade later, insurance will pay for its use in very specific instances. The hospital made the decision to buy the PillCam® for use by Suiter and general surgeon Dr. Jason Wiltshire.
After fasting for several hours, the patient checks into the hospital. Sensors are placed on the abdomen, then he or she swallows the capsule with a glass of water and goes about the business of the day. A receiver worn at the waist captures the images — two frames for every second. After eight hours the sensors and data recorder are removed and the capsule continues its passage through the digestive track.
The camera itself is a throw-away item, Suiter emphasized. The information on the recorder is previewed first by nurses in the hospital’s endoscopy department who indicate to him anything that looks unusual. The problem might be resolved by medication or by surgery.
“It’s totally changed the way we approach small bowel problems,” Suiter said.
The same software that analyzes data from the pill camera also monitors acid in the esophagus.
Acid reflux disease is fairly common, affecting up to 60 percent of Americans. There are “miracle drugs” to alleviate symptoms, Suiter said, but some people don’t want to take them for as long as 50 years, and some don’t get the relief they expect from the pills.
The Bravo pH Monitoring System, also new at PRMC, documents the severity of the disease so that it can be better controlled.
GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease) occurs when the muscle at the top of the stomach becomes “incompetent,” Suiter explained, and allows stomach acids to get into the esophagus, where it doesn’t belong. Chronic heartburn can lead to more serious damage, including difficulty in swallowing and narrowing of the esophagus.
To monitor the level of acid, a tube was placed down the patient’s nose that transmitted data to a recorder on the belt. The Bravo system eliminates the tube and uses a small transmitter that is affixed to the esophagus during conscious sedation.
Some patients may have a “vague sensation” of its presence, Suiter said, but there is minimal if any discomfort, even when eating. The electrodes have enough energy for 72 hours of monitoring, then it detaches and passes through the body.
Both the PillCam and the Bravo system are second and third line modalities, Suiter noted. They won’t be used for all patients, but are useful when other diagnostic methods fail to provide enough information.
