A NEW hi-tech piece of equipment is helping doctors diagnose major illnesses better at Southampton General Hospital.

The SpyGlass, which consists of a fibre optic probe attached to a camera head, is a new hi-tech endoscope which is helping doctors treating liver and gallbladder conditions.

Thanks to the equipment they can now clearly view in detail what they would previously have only seen on X-rays.

They can also use this advanced tool to take biopsies at the same time, preventing the need for repeat scans or invasive surgery in order to make an accurate diagnosis.

Before they took delivery of the SpyGlass endoscope, doctors had to rely on basic scans that did not always provide enough information.

This sometimes left the patient needing major surgery as the only option.

Members of The League of Friends raised £50,000 to pay for the SpyGlass through various fundraising events including money raised from its shop in the hospital reception.

Dr Mark Wright, a consultant in liver medicine said: “Until the introduction of this technology, if patients’ scans showed any abnormalities, surgery would often be the only option as there was not enough detail available to rule out cancer.

“With SpyGlass, we are able to visualise what we see on the scans and take tissue biopsies while examining if necessary, so patients can be confident they are having surgery that is completely necessary as opposed to just a precautionary measure.”