Have you ever wondered how doctors can see through your body without making wounds?
They use an innovative technique known as spyglass cholangioscopy. In this technique, a tiny camera is attached to a flexible tube, allowing doctors to identify and address issues in your bile ducts.
Spyglass cholangioscopy is a minimally invasive treatment usually done under anaesthesia in an endoscopic suite or operating room. It can give crucial information that other imaging models, such as CT scans or MRIs, may not be able to provide, as well as aid in guiding therapy options for patients with complicated biliary and pancreatic illnesses.
What is spyglass cholangioscopy?
Spyglass cholangioscopy is used to identify and treat problems within the bile ducts, which are tubes that transfer bile from the liver to small intestine. A small, flexible tube known as a cholangioscope is used in the process; it is inserted via the mouth, down the throat, and into bile ducts.
How does spyglass cholangioscopy work?
Using a sophisticated imaging approach known as fluoroscopy, the cholangioscope is guided through the bile ducts during the procedure. Fluoroscopy allows the doctor to see any issues by employing a continuous X-ray beam to provide real-time images of the bile ducts on a monitor.
Spyglass cholangioscopy can help doctors identify and treat various conditions, including:
- Bile duct stones: small stones in the bile ducts can obstruct the passage of bile.
- Bile duct cancer: Bile duct cancer refers to cancerous growths in the bile ducts.
- Inflammation: Infections in the bile ducts can be bacterial or fungal.
Benefits:
- Compared to surgical methods, spyglass cholangioscopy is less disturbing, which can help patients recover quickly.
- Spyglass cholangioscopy helps doctors identify and manage bile duct disorders.
- Spyglass cholangioscopy is used to identify diseases and treat some of them, such as removing stones and collecting tissue samples.
- It is an advanced method that enables doctors to identify and treat bile duct disorders precisely and less surgically.
Consult your doctor if you have any doubts about the health of bile ducts to see if spyglass cholangioscopy is the best course of action for you.
