Stanley's scope gets ultra-modern

A video bronchoscope that can be used to examine a patient’s airways for abnormalities and was installed at a cost of Rs 18 lakh at the Government Stanley Medical College Hospital recently.
Stanley's scope gets ultra-modern

A video bronchoscope that can be used to examine a patient’s airways for abnormalities and at the same time teach students with real time video clips was installed at a cost of `18 lakh at the Government Stanley Medical College Hospital recently.

Doctors said that unlike its previous version which is rigid and only one person, who is using the equipment can look for the abnormality in the patient’s airway; the video bronchoscope has a flexible bronchoscope which is thin and long that can penetrate deeper into the lung. The equipment, can be inserted in to the air passage and with the help of the fibre optic system, the image of the passage can be seen on a monitor. The same image could also be magnified for a closer look.

“Apart from the doctor on the bronchoscope seeing the visual on a monitor, another external monitor has been set up in another room where students can watch and learn. Post graduate students can learn and get trained from doctors,” said Dr Sridhar, Professor, TB and Chest diseases. The same image could be recorded and saved in a computer or a print out could be produced.

The instrument, which has a camera at its end and can be inserted through the mouth or nose, could be used to check for bleeding, tumors, infection and inflammation. Doctors said the equipment could also be used to remove the abnormal growth, cells or tissues from the air passage or from inside the lungs for a further biopsy.

Apart from using the equipment on the patient with partial anasthesia, video bronchoscopy can also be used for removing the tumor or secretion. So, when a patient approaches with complaints of cough, bleeding, change in voice or breathing difficulty, the equipment could be used on a patient for diagnosis and later for treatment after taking an X-Ray. Now, checking of abnormality with the use of the equipment would take only 10 to 15 minutes for a patient.

Dr Geethalakshmi, Dean, Government Stanley Medical Hospital said that Stanley was the first government hospital to have the equipment.

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