New endoscopic technique introduced in NE

A new endoscopic technique for direct visualisation inside the common bile duct (CBD) and liver has been introduced for the first time in the north east at a private institute.
The 'Spyglass' cholangioscopy technique which goes inside the CBD and the small ducts of liver will be of immense benefit for patients with stones in the smaller ducts inside the liver, CBD and pancreatic duct, Swagat Super Speciality Surgical Institute founder Subhash Khanna told reporters.
The new endoscopic modality will also benefit patients with very large and difficult stones in the ducts, besides help in early diagnosis of cancer in CBD with a definite site specific biopsy under direct visualisation, he informed.

Apart from stones, many patients with other disorders of liver and pancreas would be able to take benefit of this modality, said Khanna, who is also convenor of Continued Medical Education programme on the technique organised by the institute along with Association of Surgeons of Assam today.
"So far the standard facility available for such stones and similar problems was a technique called ERCP where in with the help of an endoscope a basket would be introduced into the ducts of the liver and pancreas and the stones taken out by pulling under x-ray control", he said.
"But with the help of the new Spy camera this will no longer be a blind technique. Now a very thin Cholangioscopic camera can be introduced into the CBD and pancreatic duct and stones, strictures (narrowing) can be visualised and managed with various techniques including lasers to pulvarise and break the stone," Khanna said.

The introduction of the technique is a landmark event as now stones, strictures of liver ducts, fistulas (leaks), injuries of the ducts after surgical operation and diagnosis of early tumours would be approached differently," he claimed.
On the treatment cost by the new surgical procedure, Khanna, who is a former surgery professor of the Gauhati Medical College Hospital said, "the average cost will be Rs 25,000 to 50,000, including medicines, hospital stay and machine cost.