Annual Report 2006/07 - Royal Devon & Exeter Hospital

Royal Devon & Exeter NHS Foundation Trust Annual Report 2006/07
PACS
Patients at the RD&E now have their x-rays,
scans and other medical images captured and
stored digitally and accessed electronically with
a new system.
The Picture Archiving and Communications
System (PACS) makes x-rays and scanned images
available instantly to health professionals; and
stores and transports them electronically. This
minimises the chances of images being lost or
misplaced and consultants can compare images
to assess long-term conditions. In turn, patient
exposure to radiation is decreased as fewer
x-rays are necessary.
The I-Suite OR in action.
“I can’t praise the benefits of brachytherapy enough.
There was nothing throughout the entire treatment that
distressed me in any way whatsoever.”
Mr ralPh Brown of newton aBBot, who was the first
Patient to receiVe hDr BrachytheraPy at the rD&e.
I-Suite OR
International conference delegates watched
live surgery beamed to them by state-of-theart
technology from Theatre 1 in the Princess
Elizabeth Orthopaedic Centre (PEOC). The
‘I-Suite OR’ combines a computerised guidance
system for surgery and a communication system
for demonstrations and teaching.
Computer-aided
orthopaedic “This kit has given us a huge
surgery is becoming
standard is vital when it comes to continuing
advantage in terms of teaching and
in leading
our tradition of attracting topquality
staff. PEOC boasts some of
orthopaedic
centres around
the world. The the leading hip surgeons in the UK.”
system is like a Peter Vickery, Directorate Manager,
mapping device
trauMa anD orthoPaeDics
which assists
surgeons and is
mainly used for hip and knee replacements.
EVAR
The RD&E is one of only three centres offering
a life-saving procedure in the South West known
as Endovascular Aneurysm Repair, or EVAR. The
50th patient was admitted in February for this
non-invasive surgical procedure used on patients
whose main abdominal blood vessel is enlarged.
High Dose Rate Brachytherapy
Patients are singing the praises of a new
technique to treat prostate cancer. The RD&E is
one of only three hospitals in the UK offering
high dose rate brachytherapy. The difference
between brachytherapy and other treatments is
that instead of a radiation beam being directed
at the prostate from outside the body, between
12 and 15 needles are inserted into the prostate
and radiation is directed down each tube.
This means that a higher dose of radiation is
delivered direct to the prostate which makes it
safer and more effective.
The fantastic benefits of using EVAR are best
summed up by one of the earliest patients to
receive EVAR at the RD&E:
“The surgeon did a remarkable job and I have
nothing but praise for the team. The scars were so
minute I don’t think I could even see them! I have
had open surgery in the past when a main artery
burst so I know how that experience compares.
With the EVAR I was up and about in a couple of days
and had no ill effects whatsoever. The attention I
received was first class!”
roBert cooke, axMinster
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