CAPSULE COLONOSCOPY
ANCHOR LEAD: THERE’S NO GOOD REASON TO CHOOSE CAPSULE COLONSCOPY, ELIZABETH TRACEY REPORTS
Most people dread colonoscopy, and researchers have tried for years to develop a more acceptable technique. But swallowing a capsule that takes pictures of your colon as it moves through the GI tract has proven disappointing, a recent study reports. Pam Lipsett, a surgeon at Johns Hopkins, applauds the study.
LIPSETT: It’s a look at a new technology but it’s a realistic and hard look that says maybe we’re not really getting an okay view. Maybe it isn’t as good, maybe it’s technology that costs a lot of money but doesn’t have the same benefit and safety as standard optical colonoscopy. :19
Lipsett recommends staying with the tried and true.LIPSETT: I think colonoscopy is the standard for both diagnosis and the ability to actually biopsy and then treat lesions that are identified. :08
While capsule colonoscopy isn’t ready for prime time, CT colonography may be. Talk with your doctor about your options.
At Johns Hopkins, I’m Elizabeth Tracey.
