Complications of Capsule Endoscopy

Tracheal Aspiration of a Capsule Endoscope: A New Case Report and Literature Compilation of an Increasingly Reported Complication

“…In this respect, the main complications described relating to video capsule endoscopy are failure to move along the gastrointestinal tract or capsule retention (consensually defined if a capsule remains in the bowel for a minimum of two weeks, or even permanently, unless extracted surgically or endoscopically) [1]. Swallowing disorders have also been suggested as being an important reason for contraindication, because of the potential risk of accidental aspiration of the capsule into the airway [2]. In this article, we present a case of video capsule aspiration which was resolved spontaneously and review the cases of this type of complication which have been described in the literature.…”

Outcomes after symptomatic capsule retention in suspected small bowel obstruction

“…The incidence of capsule retention varies widely from 0 to 21%, depending on the indication for the examination [11,[18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27]. Absent or a low rate (1-2%) of capsule retention was documented in studies with very strict exclusion criteria [11,21,24,27], whereas higher rates (5-21%) occurred in patients with suspected small bowel obstruction [19,26].…”

A Case of Asymptomatic Aspiration of a Capsule Endoscope with a Successful Resolution

“…11,12 The most common complication is retention, which has been reported in 0.75-2% of cases. [13][14][15] Aspiration of the capsule is a rarer but more important complication. To our knowledge, since Schneider first reported M2A capsule aspiration in 2003, ten cases of capsule aspiration have been reported in English worldwide.…”