Thursday 11 March 2021

The End of Endoscopy?

As somone who has (at different times) had endoscopy from both ends, I was relieved (is that the right word?) to read of the trials of colon capsule endoscopy (https://www.theguardian.com/society/2021/mar/11/bowel-cancer-screening-capsules-the-latest-in-at-home-care-trend). Endoscopy (insertion of a long, fexible tube with a camera) is used routinely, to check for bowel cancer and Crohn's disease. It's not pleasant. The PillCam is a miniature camera, in a 2 cm long capsule (about the size of a cod liver oil tablet). The device is swallowed and takes pictures, as it passes through the gut. The pictures are transmitted to storage on a device, held in a bag around the patient's neck, at home. The images can later be given to a specialist for interpretation. The PillCam can be recovered and reutilised after thorough cleaning. The development is said to be further evidence of an NHS imperative to do more home-care screening, as a consequence of the Covid-19 pandemic.

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