Symptoms - When is right to come for a test?

Our tests provide imaging for conditions that affect your lower digestive system. This includes your small intestine, large intestine and rectum. A lot of the symptoms that Capsule Endoscopy can be used to investigate would generally present when you go to the toilet for a bowel movement. 

If things start to change, don’t feel right or you notice a change in what’s normal for you, a Capsule Endoscopy test is a patient-friendly and quick way of providing answers for the reasons behind the change.

Patients experiencing one or more of the symptoms below could benefit from a Capsule Endoscopy investigation;

• An unexplained change in your bowel motions. You might be going more or less often, or have diarrhoea or constipation that might come and go.
• Bleeding from your bottom.
• Blood in your bowel motions.
• Unexplained anaemia.
• Unexplained pains in your tummy.
• Losing weight unexpectedly.
• Unexplained fatigue and weakness.

Capsule Endoscopy is also a useful test to carry out if

• you are unable to tolerate a Colonoscopy. - Some patients experience pain or discomfort during a Colonoscopy, others have had previous experience with Colonoscopy that they may not want to repeat. If you are experiencing symptoms that need a camera investigation then Capsule Endoscopy may be a suitable alternative.

• you are unable to consider other endoscopy testing as an option due to personal beliefs or experiences. This may prevent patients from coming forward for investigation via traditional methods of inserting an endoscope into the body. Capsule Endoscopy is as simple as swallowing a large vitamin pill. There are no instruments inserted into the body and no need to remove any clothing to allow the test to be carried out.

• Neurodivergent patients and those with special educational needs can also find traditional testing methods difficult to understand, and cope with, due to the highly clinical environment of their local Endoscopy unit. Capsule Endoscopy is carried out in a more relaxed setting in a consultation room similar to a face-to-face outpatient consultation.

If you are referred by a consultant we will return a copy of your test report to you and them. 

If you are a self-referral we'll return a copy of the report to you and if any further action would be required your GP.

80% of patients who  have a Capsule Endoscopy test are able to receive a diagnosis and can be discharged by their consultant with a plan for managing any diagnosed condition.  

The remaining 20% of patients who have a Capsule Endoscopy may require a further test or procedure as a result of the findings. Some of the more common reasons for this are

• Biopsy - The procedure generates a video recording of the lower digestive system and the capsule is a specialised camera. Whilst the majority of conditions can be diagnosed visually, on some occasions a biopsy is required and this can only be carried out via traditional Colonoscopy.

• Therapeutic treatment  -  If there is a need to remove anything found, for example a large polyp, then this would need to be done via Colonoscopy. However, the Capsule Endoscopy report will indicate to your clinician where in the lower digestive system the Polyp can be found and what they are looking for to remove.

In most cases when a patient goes on to have further testing due to findings during the procedure they are triaged quicker and are able to see the most appropriate clinician for any condition that has been found.