LESS limbs will be amputated in Far North Queensland, if the community can help provide the latest technology vascular operating microscope.
The Far North Queensland Hospital Foundation has launched an appeal for the community to support the $409,000 piece of equipment, through which our four Cairns Hospital microsurgeons can see blood flowing into transplanted tissue.
Cairns Hospital plastics and microsurgeon Dr Jaeme Zwart said the microscope could be used on patients ranging from children through to the elderly – from trauma through to reconnection procedures.
“There are times we operate on children and some of their vessels are only just visible to the naked eye, but with the new technology we can see it incredibly clearly on a high resolution screen and we can see whether the blood is flowing, in real time,” Dr Zwart said.
“We do have a microscope for these procedures but it won’t show whether the blood is flowing through transplanted tissue, which really is vital to ensuring the procedure is a success,” he said.
“It will lead to better outcomes for patients and ultimately less amputations,” he said. “It also will mean hand function will be improved in delicate hand trauma, including replacing fingers.”
Foundation chairman Dr Ken Chapman said if the public appeal was successful, he believed Cairns Hospital would be the first outside South East Queensland, to be home to one of the new microscopes.
“We understand the Sunshine Coast University Hospital has just taken delivery of one for plastic cases and hospitals in Brisbane are using the technology for neurosurgery,” Dr Chapman said.
“We are passionate about this region having the best equipment and the best medical outcomes for patients – why shouldn’t we have the same level of equipment and service as our city cousins in the south east?”
The Foundation is confident the community will support the initiative – following the overwhelming success of the second cardiac catheter laboratory campaign, in which donors provided $435, 000 towards the project in just five weeks.
The equipment purchase would be another step towards the Cairns Hospital becoming a tertiary hospital.
To read more visit HERE. To donate visit HERE.
Photo: Dr Jaeme Zwart explains to Dr Ken Chapman, the need for the surgical microscope.
