NEW GI PROCEDURE

["B"]

HI , I READ OVER THE SUMMER WHERE THERE IS A NEW TEST FOR PEOPLE WITH GI PROBLEMS THAT ELIMINATES A LOT OF OTHER PAINFUL PROCEDURES. THE PATIENT SWALLOWS A CAPSULE WITH A TINY CAMERA IN IT AND THEN IT TAKES PICTURES OF THE GI TRACT. DOES ANYONE KNOW THE NAME OF THE PROCEDURE AND VERY IMPORTANT - WHERE IT MIGHT BE OFFERED ? I,VE SEARCHED EVERYWHERE. I HAD A VERY PAINFUL COLONOSCOPY AS WELL AS AN UPPER GI WITH NO ANSWERS . I WOULD APPRECIATE ANY HELP. THANKS A LOT.  "B"

[Wilson]

I just saw a segment on the local news about that yesterday. It transmits the pictures to a device you wear on your belt, or something. They just started using it around here, and I guess it costs from $1600 to $2000 to have it. It seems like a great tool for viewing the entire length of the small intestine, the only place regular scopes can't reach. I'm not sure whether it's been approved or not, but the place they showed having it was Northwestern Medical Center in Chicago.

[steveaustralia]

Has been recently used in Australia but I don't know if that helps you at all.