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SDNF Presentation Event for Brain Navigation equipment
THE PRESENTATION
On Tuesday 10 November 2009 at 5pm in the Glasshouse Conservatory on ward 2C at Royal Preston Hospital we were gathered to see the presentation of a substantial cheque to the Hospital for the most advanced brain navigation equipment which is now installed in the two new brain surgery theatres which were opened today.
The new theatres are the centrepiece of a £7.2 million investment to upgrade theatres at the hospital and include the world's most advanced brain navigation equipment, which has been donated to the Trust by the Sydney Driscoll Neuroscience Foundation. The Foundation, celebrates its 20th anniversary this year and funds research and education into neuroscience including the treatment of brain tumours.
Andrew Ferguson, Chairman, Sydney Driscoll Neuroscience Foundation, presented a cheque of £230,450 to Stuart Heys, Chairman, Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, to fund the cost of the navigation equipment.
The two state-of-the-art brain surgery hubs are built around brain navigation systems, which are the first installed in the North of England. The GPS-type systems are linked to cutting-edge digital recording and video transmission as well as conferencing equipment to provide interactive training opportunities for the surgeons of the future.
Live operations can be viewed from the doctors training room and consultant offices and the specialists can talk directly with the surgeon as the operation takes place. Surgery can also be recorded and played back at training sessions.
THE DEMONSTRATION
During the afternoon a live operation was being performed by Consultant Neurosurgeon Aprajay Golash to demonstrate the equipment and showcase the 'Star Trek' style brain surgery facilities.
The new theatres enable surgeons to control functions by simple one-touch flat screen computer monitors. X-rays, scans and medical history can be viewed in an instant during an operation while lighting and temperature can be controlled at the touch of a button. The theatres features banks of monitors and much of the equipment drops down from the ceiling, giving it the look and feel of a futuristic spaceship control bridge.
COMMENTS
Mr Nihal Gurusinghe, Chairman, Department of Neurosurgery, Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, the Founder and Trustee of The Sydney Driscoll Neuroscience Foundation, said: “The Foundation is delighted to fund the brain navigation equipment which will transform the safety and effectiveness of the neurosurgery theatres and made them among the most advanced in the world. This will be of immense benefit to patients and to the doctors and nurses training in our Department”.
“These are the newest and most advanced brain surgery theatres in the region. They feature a system which displays imaging information on a navigational screen during the operation which combine to provide a detailed 3D image and enables the surgeon to find pathways within the brain to perform complex operations much more safely.”
He added: “New technology allows us to beam live pictures or record imagery and operations for training purposes. Surgeons can have two-way conversations with trainees via a sophisticated communications system. This enables far more students to watch and learn from very complicated operations than would previously have been possible. We can also record operations as they happen and view them during teaching sessions.”
Stuart Heys, Chairman, Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said: “The Trust has made a major investment in its theatre facilities but the neurosurgery operating rooms are the pinnacle of the development. The stat-of-the-art navigation equipment could not have been purchased without the donation from the Sydney Driscoll Neuroscience Foundation, for which we are very grateful.”
The new brain surgery theatres are among 12 theatres to have been revamped at Royal Preston Hospital as part of a £7.2 million scheme to modernise facilities with improved ventilation systems, new lighting and special easy-to-clean wipe down panels.
The Sydney Driscoll Neuroscience Foundation is a registered charity which was founded in 1989 with a generous donation from the late Mrs Lucille Driscoll in memory of her late husband Sydney, who had been treated in the Department of Neuroscience at Preston in the 1960's by the first neurosurgeon at Preston; , the late Mr Ken Tutton and subsequently enhanced by a large sum of money given to the Foundation as a legacy. She was delighted with the idea that the money which she had donated would be used to enhance neuroscience education and research. The Foundation is governed by a group of lay and medical Trustees who hold the responsibility of the charity. The Foundation has also provided a fully equipped Neuroscience Library to the Trust and also presents an annual award for a young neuroscientist for original research.
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