Capsule Endoscopy

You know those miniature video camera capsules you can swallow to examine the inside of your gut as they travel through? Sounds much more pleasant than drinking barium or having a barium enema, right?

This article in eMJA -- Initial experience with capsule endoscopy at a major referral hospital -- describes the process:

Patients fasted from midnight, and in the morning swallowed the capsule endoscope with a glass of water mixed with simethicone (1mL), which helps eradicate small bubbles in the small bowel. After 8 hours, patients returned to have the recording equipment removed.

They don't elaborate further. One can only imagine . . .