Capsule Endoscopy Wireless Transmissions Safe for Heart Patients

A new study suggests that video capsule endoscopy (CE), a procedure that uses wireless technology in diagnosing intestinal disease, is safe for patients with implantable cardiac devices (ICDs).

Researchers at the Mayo Clinic (Scottsdale, AZ, USA) reviewed the medical records of 84 patients who had ICDs (cardiac pacemakers, defibrillators, or left ventricular assist devices) and that underwent CE at the Mayo Clinic's campuses in Scottsdale and Rochester (MN, USA); the patients' average age was 73, and 69% of them had pacemakers. In a large majority of cases (74%), the reason for performing the CE was to locate gastrointestinal bleeding. In each case, the capsule explored the entire length of the small bowel. Assessments after the procedure revealed no interference with the ICDs. The study was presented at a meeting of the American College of Gastroenterology, held during October 2009 in San Diego (CA, USA).

"There were no problems with the devices interacting,” said study presenter and co-author Lucinda Harris, M.D. "The data is now out there. We are coming to the point where we know this is a relatively safe procedure.”

During CE, the patient swallows a vitamin-sized capsule containing a battery-driven camera that travels through the intestines, taking thousands of pictures to examine the inside of the digestive tract, including the small intestine; it then transmits them to an external receiver. The device is later excreted through the colon. The use of CE has solved a long-term problem for doctors: visualizing the midsection of the small intestine, which can measure 7 meters in length. CE is most commonly used to find the source of unexplained bleeding, but is also used to detect the causes of anemia, abdominal pain, and certain intestinal diseases.

Wireless electrical gadgets, such as cell phones, have been shown to interfere with ICDs, including pacemakers and defibrillators. This risk has led medical experts to speculate that capsule endoscopy could similarly cause heart devices to fail. As a result, CE has been contraindicated for use by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in patients with cardiac devices.

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