Robotic Capsule Endoscopy: Simultaneous Gastric and Enteric Evaluation in Real-World Practice

Area of Science:

• Gastroenterology
• Medical Devices
• Endoscopy

Background:

• Robotic capsule endoscopy (RCE) integrates magnetic navigation with capsule enteroscopy (CE) for minimally invasive upper and mid-gastrointestinal evaluation.
• Current diagnostic pathways often require separate procedures for gastric and small bowel assessment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the real-world implementation and diagnostic performance of RCE in a European tertiary referral center.
• To assess the feasibility of RCE for simultaneous upper and mid-gastrointestinal examination.

Main Methods:

• A retrospective analysis of 85 adult patients undergoing RCE (Omom RC) between June 2023 and July 2025.
• Patients had indications for small bowel CE with a need for concurrent gastric evaluation.
• The protocol involved robotic-guided gastric examination followed by passive small bowel transit.

Main Results:

• RCE identified relevant gastric findings in 46% of patients, including polyps and angiectasias.
• Small bowel pathology was detected in 71% of patients, with P2/P3 lesions in 42%.
• Good gastric preparation was achieved in 38%, and one moderate adverse event (capsule retention) occurred.

Conclusions:

• Robotic capsule endoscopy is a viable tool for comprehensive dual-region gastrointestinal assessment.
• RCE enables high-quality gastric visualization and early detection of actionable lesions.
• The diagnostic yield of RCE supports its integration into clinical workflows for combined gastric and small bowel evaluations.