09 July 2009

Australian first technology for Liverpool Hospital

Liverpool is the first hospital in Australia to use new technology which allows doctors to more accurately and quickly diagnose and treat patients, reducing the rate of invasive surgery.

NSW Minister for Health, John Della Bosca, said the Spyglass technology offers significant advantages over conventional procedures.

“Doctors had previously relied on x-rays when performing challenging procedures such as removing gallstones, opening obstructed bile ducts and obtaining biopsies in suspected tumours,” the Minister said.

“Two-dimensional, black and white x-ray images often do not provide doctors with enough information for a complete diagnosis and additional testing is often needed.

“Through advances in fibre optic technology, doctors can now access and inspect the areas of concern directly.

“This allows doctors to see the areas they are taking tissue samples from, so they can obtain a more accurate biopsy, which results in a more definitive and faster diagnosis.

“Other benefits are a reduced rate of invasive surgery and reduced length of hospital stay,” the Minister said.

“Up to 50 people are expected to be treated with the new technology in the first year and around 70 when state-wide referrals begin,” he added.

Sydney South West Area Health Service’s Director of Gastro and Liver Surgery, Professor Neil Merrett, said the Spyglass system uses a 6,000-pixel fibre-optic miniature camera.

“The $120,000 device is inserted through a single-use catheter that can be steered in four directions to access and inspect the treatment area,” Professor Merrett said.

“Because there is an increased visualisation, doctors now have the capability to diagnose and treat patients in the one procedure, eliminating the need for further surgery,” he added.

For a range of health information, go online to www.health.nsw.gov.au