Endoscopy 2005; 37(12): 1181-1185
DOI: 10.1055/s-2005-870558
Original Article
© Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York

Effects of Capsule Endoscopy on Cardiac Pacemakers

G.  Payeras1 , J.  Piqueras1 , V.  J.  Moreno1 , A.  Cabrera2 , D.  Menéndez3 , R.  Jiménez4
  • 1Department of Digestive Diseases, Division of Endoscopy, Hospital San Francisco de Asís, Madrid, Spain
  • 2Department of Digestive Diseases, Division of Endoscopy, Hospital Central de la Defensa, Madrid, Spain
  • 3Department of Cardiology, Hospital Central de la Defensa, Madrid, Spain
  • 4Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Juan Carlos I, Madrid, Spain
Further Information

Publication History

Submitted 7 December 2004

Accepted after revision 22 April 2005

Publication Date:
05 December 2005 (online)

Background and Study Aims: Capsule endoscopy is a new, noninvasive diagnostic technique which enables visualization of the mucosa of the small intestine in physiological conditions and without the need to subject the patient to external radiation. Wireless capsule video endoscopy is contraindicated in patients with a cardiac pacemaker. However, on the basis of the characteristics of the radiofrequency band used by the endoscopic capsule, together with a series of other factors, it is possible that the patient’s use of a pacemaker should not be a contraindication to capsule endoscopy.
Patients and Methods: This work had two phases: an in vitro study, using an interference detector, and an in vivo study involving 20 patients with cardiac pacemakers who showed symptoms or signs that justified a capsule endoscopy investigation.
Results: No interference was observed during the first, in vitro, phase of the study. In the second phase, patients wore a Holter recorder for a mean time of 10 hours, during which the average number of recorded QRS complexes exceeded 30 000. All the pacemakers functioned normally. Interference due only to myopotentials was detected in a single patient in whom modification of the pacemaker programming was necessary. In the other 19 patients, neither sensing nor stimulation failures were observed.
Conclusions: No interference between the pacemaker and the endoscopic capsule was observed. All the pacemakers functioned normally, and no increased incidence of adverse effects was observed. Neither was any pacemaker-induced interference observed on the capsule endoscopy images.

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G. Payeras, M. D.

Department of Digestive Diseases · Division of Endoscopy · Hospital San Francisco de Asís

Joaquín Costa 28 · Madrid 28002 · Spain

Fax: +34-91-5643971

Email: gpayeras@yahoo.es

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