Pillcam for the Esophagus: Is Your Heartburn Killing You?
Pillcam for the Esophagus: Is Your Heartburn Killing You?
Jan-15-06 12:00 pm
Contact:
Megan Duke
202-444-7443
mxd19@gunet.georgetown.edu
Washington, DC - Gastroenterologists at Georgetown University Hospital are making strides in detecting and treating damage caused by acid reflux and heartburn with a pillcamera that records the results in just 6 minutes and without sedation.
The PillCam ESO is a digital camera device that is roughly the size of a large vitamin. It has replaced endoscopy for some patients who suffer from these conditions and is aiding in the early detection of Barrett's esophagus, a condition often linked to esophageal cancer.
Everyday people experience bouts of heartburn and acid reflux. Some people experience it more often than others do. However, chronic heartburn can be a sign of a more serious condition, one that could lead to cancer.
Esophageal cancer is the fastest growing cancer in America, increasing five fold in the last 30 years, according to the American Cancer Society. Many attribute poor eating habits that lead to chronic heartburn and obesity to the massive increase in cases.
With Pillcam ESO, the patient simply swallows the device with a small amount of water while lying flat on their back and wearing a belt pack around the waist. The belt pack holds a receiver, which downloads 14 pictures a second, sent by the tiny camera. After 2 minutes, the patient is raised 30 degrees, then to 60 degrees after another 2-minute period. Then they must sit upright for 15 minutes while the camera finishes its descent into the stomach.
In some cases, Pillcam ESO can replace endoscopy, a lengthy procedure requiring the patient to swallow a long tube with a camera on the end.
Within 72 hours, the digital device passes through the GI system and is expelled from the body.
Alice Eichers, a patient at Georgetown University Hospital recently underwent the rapid test and was happy with the less invasive procedure.
"I was aware of the pill technology. This whole thing sounded like science fiction," she said. "How great if this is all I have to have."
Kathy Bull-Henry, MD, a gastroenterologist at GUH, reviewed Alice's photos and looked for possible indications of a more serious problem.
"She has reflux. Now we're looking to see if she has any damage due to this reflux," Dr. Bull-Henry said. "If she has minor damage, no endoscopy will be needed. If she does have something more serious we will do an endoscopy and a biopsy."
Although the Pillcam ESO does not necessarily rule out the need for an endoscopy, it enables gastroenterologists to conduct them on patients who have more severe esophageal ailments that require biopsies.
The Pillcam ESO was approved by the Federal Drug Administration in November 2004.
Megan Duke
202-444-7443
mxd19@gunet.georgetown.edu
Washington, DC - Gastroenterologists at Georgetown University Hospital are making strides in detecting and treating damage caused by acid reflux and heartburn with a pillcamera that records the results in just 6 minutes and without sedation.
The PillCam ESO is a digital camera device that is roughly the size of a large vitamin. It has replaced endoscopy for some patients who suffer from these conditions and is aiding in the early detection of Barrett's esophagus, a condition often linked to esophageal cancer.
Everyday people experience bouts of heartburn and acid reflux. Some people experience it more often than others do. However, chronic heartburn can be a sign of a more serious condition, one that could lead to cancer.
Esophageal cancer is the fastest growing cancer in America, increasing five fold in the last 30 years, according to the American Cancer Society. Many attribute poor eating habits that lead to chronic heartburn and obesity to the massive increase in cases.
With Pillcam ESO, the patient simply swallows the device with a small amount of water while lying flat on their back and wearing a belt pack around the waist. The belt pack holds a receiver, which downloads 14 pictures a second, sent by the tiny camera. After 2 minutes, the patient is raised 30 degrees, then to 60 degrees after another 2-minute period. Then they must sit upright for 15 minutes while the camera finishes its descent into the stomach.
In some cases, Pillcam ESO can replace endoscopy, a lengthy procedure requiring the patient to swallow a long tube with a camera on the end.
Within 72 hours, the digital device passes through the GI system and is expelled from the body.
Alice Eichers, a patient at Georgetown University Hospital recently underwent the rapid test and was happy with the less invasive procedure.
"I was aware of the pill technology. This whole thing sounded like science fiction," she said. "How great if this is all I have to have."
Kathy Bull-Henry, MD, a gastroenterologist at GUH, reviewed Alice's photos and looked for possible indications of a more serious problem.
"She has reflux. Now we're looking to see if she has any damage due to this reflux," Dr. Bull-Henry said. "If she has minor damage, no endoscopy will be needed. If she does have something more serious we will do an endoscopy and a biopsy."
Although the Pillcam ESO does not necessarily rule out the need for an endoscopy, it enables gastroenterologists to conduct them on patients who have more severe esophageal ailments that require biopsies.
The Pillcam ESO was approved by the Federal Drug Administration in November 2004.
