Optimizing Bowel Preparation in Small Bowel Capsule Endoscopy: It's All About Timing

Abstract

Small bowel capsule endoscopy (SBCE) allows for radiation-free and noninvasive visualization of small bowel (SB) mucosa with high-quality images and is critical in the management of a variety of conditions, including suspected SB bleeding, suspected or definitive SB Crohn's disease, SB tumors including intestinal polyposis syndromes, and, to a lesser extent, celiac disease. The optimal preparation protocol remains a subject of considerable debate, with no universally accepted bowel cleansing regimen identified to achieve the desired performance measure. In this news and views, we discuss a recently published multicenter, prospective, single-blinded (for investigators) randomized controlled trial in patients for whom SBCE was performed for suspected SB bleeding to ascertain the optimal timing and preparation for SBCE.

Keywords

small bowel capsule endoscopy - suspected small bowel bleed - diagnostic yield

Publication History

Article published online:
12 June 2025

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