Pill camera endoscopy is an exciting new technique that allows your specialist to examine the entire length of your intestine painlessly and without exposure to surgery, endoscopy or radiation.

You simply swallow a capsule which has a camera built into it to automatically record its natural passage through your bowel. You wear a special recorder to pick up the images via radio frequency signal. This happens while you go about your normal routine during the day and is removed after about eight hours.

This test may be indicated for people who have:

• Ongoing bleeding from the bowel or iron deficiency without a cause seen at gastroscopy or colonoscopy
• Crohns disease which may be affecting the small bowel
• Coeliac disease or suspected coeliac disease
• Polyps or tumours in the small bowel.

Waitematā Gastroenterology (Dr Stephen Burmeister) offers the only pill camera service north of the harbour bridge and is an affliliated Southern Cross provider.