Your Agile™ Patency Capsule procedure. This is a two-part procedure
| Date | Time | Instructions |
| Attend Gastroenterology Day Unit (near Mary Garth Ward) at the George Eliot Hospital | ||
| Attend the Radiology Department at the George Eliot Hospital for an Abdominal X-Ray |
Why do I need to have a Patency Capsule?
Your doctor has decided that as part of your medical evaluation you should undergo a Capsule Patency test. This is a preliminary test to confirm that your gastrointestinal tract is passable or 'patent' for an object the size of a capsule.
What is a Patency capsule and what does it involve?
This procedure involves swallowing a dissolvable capsule. The capsule consists of dissolvable components including a tiny radio frequency identification tag that can be detected by x-ray. The capsule starts to dissolve about 30 hours after swallowing.
You will be asked to return to the hospital within 24 hours of swallowing the capsule to test whether it is still present in your body via an abdominal x-ray.
Even if the capsule is still in your body, it will eventually begin to break down into smaller pieces which will pass naturally through your gastrointestinal tract. However, if you have a narrowing in your small bowel, it is still possible for the remnants of the patency capsule to get stuck and lead to bowel obstruction. If the capsule takes time to disintegrate, you may need to be admitted to hospital for management of your symptoms. In rare cases, you may need a surgical procedure to resolve the blockage. You may also need to have a repeat abdominal x-ray or further scans if the patency capsule is still in your tummy.
Delay in passing the patency capsule does not always mean that you cannot have the capsule endoscopy test.
Before your procedure
■ Please stop any iron tablets (e.g. ferrous sulphate) for seven days prior to the procedure
■ Try to avoid codeine or opiate containing painkillers (e.g. Co-codamol, dihydrocodeine) for one week before the test. If you feel that you are unable to stop this, please contact to discuss further.
■ From 12 noon the day before, please do not eat anything and drink only clear fluids. From midnight do not drink (except for necessary medication with a sip of water). No solid foods, no milk products.
■ You may take any required medicine with a few sips of water up to two hours before the test.
Diabetics
If you are an insulin or tablet controlled diabetic, you will need to contact the diabetic nurses on 024 7686 5210 or 07789946508.
What can I expect during the procedure?
On your arrival to the unit the nurse will ensure you understand the procedure and discuss any outstanding concerns or questions you may have. When you are satisfied with the information and your questions have been answered you will be asked to sign a consent form. Then you will be asked to swallow the capsule with a cup of water.
The patency procedure is in two parts:
Part 1 You will swallow the patency capsule with a few sips of water at 9.00am on the date specified. Once this has been swallowed, you may resume your normal activity.
Part 2 You are required to attend the x-ray department at 2pm the following day to have a plain abdominal x-ray. The x-ray requires no preparation and can be carried out as a walk-in patient.
What happens after swallowing the Agile Patency capsule?
■ After swallowing the capsule do not eat or drink for two hours. Four hours after swallowing the capsule, you may have a light snack. Eight hours after swallowing the capsule, you may continue with your normal diet.
■ In the meantime, it is important that you do not undergo a test called ‘magnetic resonance’ or MRI scan, as the metal in the capsule can interfere with the test. Having an MRI while the capsule is in your body may result in serious damage to your intestinal tract.
■ If you suffer from any abdominal or stomach pain, nausea or vomiting during the patency test with the Pillcam patency capsule, please contact us immediately. If this happens out of hours, please attend the Accident & Emergency department, bringing this information with you.
Contact Details
Should you have any questions or need any advice, please do not hesitate to contact us:
Advanced Clinical Practitioner: 02476153943
Joanne Leonard
Gastroenterology Nurse Specialists: 02476153943
Natalie Flowers and Saskia Cooper
Consultant Gastroenterologists:
Secretary to Dr Wood and Dr Beckley 02476865161
Secretary to Dr Raman, Dr Kathawala and Dr Asghar 02476865255
Secretary to Dr Sung and Dr Hossain 02476865151
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