Jamaica Hospital Medical Center -- Department of Public Affairs -- 8900 Van Wyck Expressway Jamaica, New York 11418
For Immediate Release
Name: Michael Hinck
Telephone: 718-206-8973
Email: mhinck@jhmc.org
Jamaica Hospital Uses New Procedure to Examine Inside the Body
Jun 12,2011
For Immediate Release
<br>Name: Natifia Mullings
<br>Telephone: (718) 206-6746
<br>Email: ngaines@jhmc.org
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<br>June 12, 2012 (Jamaica, NY)— Examining the entire gastrointestinal tract has had its limitations in the past. Colonoscopies, though commonly performed, have only been able to provide doctors with views of the colon and a tiny part of the small intestine. Likewise, upper endoscopies (EGD) have also only offered limiting views of the small intestine. An innovative procedure, capsule endoscopy, now allows doctors to easily examine the entire small intestine.
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<br>Now offered at Jamaica Hospital Medical Center, capsule endoscopy is an advanced procedure that uses a small camera to take high resolution images of the small intestine as it moves through the gastrointestinal tract.
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<br>“Capsule endoscopy is a non-invasive and sophisticated procedure,” said Dr. Asit Mehta, Gastroenterologist at Jamaica Hospital. “It is very effective, in that it provides a much better visualization of the small intestine—something we didn’t have in the past.”
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<br>The small camera, which boasts an ultra-compact lens, is located inside a capsule the size of a vitamin. Patients are instructed to swallow the capsule and must wear a compact and lightweight recorder unit. The easy-to-read unit provides real life monitoring of the capsule once it enters the gastrointestinal tract, where it records and stores images for physicians to analyze.
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<br>The FDA-approved procedure is comfortable and painless, and mostly used to assess GI bleeding and small bowel tumors.
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<br>Dr. Mehta adds: “Previously, a swallow contrast was performed and a patient endured a lengthy preoperative procedure. The beauty of this procedure is that patients can maintain their daily activities after connecting to the recorder and swallowing the capsule. The capsule moves through the intestine based on a patient’s normal muscle contractions and patients are only required to wear the recording device for eight hours, during which they can perform their daily routines as normal. The recorder is returned and the results are uploaded for an analysis.”
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<br>Capsule endoscopy, though quite effective, is not suitable for individuals with a pacemaker, implantable cardioverter defibrillator, or any other implanted electronic device. Those who are pregnant or having a swallowing disorder or obstruction in the digestive tract are also not eligible for the endocapsule procedure.
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<br>For more information on the Endocapsule procedure being offered at Jamaica Hospital or to schedule an appointment with TJH Medical Services, P.C. , please call 718-206-8755.
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<br><b>Jamaica Hospital Medical Center</b> serves a population greater than 1.2 million in Queens and eastern Brooklyn. This 384-bed medical center is an accredited community teaching hospital with a large network of community-based ambulatory care centers. JHMC offers an array of acute inpatient, rehabilitation and mental health services, and is one of the busiest Level 1 trauma centers in New York City. The hospital provides general medical, pediatric, and dental services, in addition to home health services. Jamaica Hospital Medical Center’s mission is to serve patients and the community in a way that is second to none. For additional information, please contact Public Affairs at 718-206-6020.
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