"Where some doubt exists regarding the successful passage of a capsule endoscope, a patency capsule may be administered. This contains none of the electronics of a capsule endoscope, with barium included to render it radiopaque, and cellulose to enable degradation. Successful passage of a patency capsule implies that there is no stricture within the small/large bowel that would cause trapping of a capsule endoscope."
Expected headings
"Complications"
"Capsule endoscopy, also known as video capsule endoscopy (VCE) or wireless capsule endoscopy, is a non-invasive means of investigating the small bowel, principally for identifying the underlying cause of occult gastrointestinal tract bleeding, such as due to arteriovenous malformations, small bowel tumours, and ulcers. It is also used for the detection of the earliest manifestations of Crohn disease, such as mucosal ulceration, which are poorly detected by other imaging modalities such as small bowel MRI or ultrasound."