MORE keyhole surgeries will be carried out at Rugby’s hospital, meaning quicker recovery times for patients.
The Hospital of St Cross is expanding its range of minimally invasive surgeries – known as laparoscopic procedures – which are safer than traditional surgeries because they involve less cutting.
Already used on the Barby Road site in Trauma and Orthopaedics, the procedures are now being implemented in General Surgery for operations such as gallbladder removal and hernia repairs.
They use a laparoscope – a thin, flexible tube with a light and a video camera on the end – which allow surgeons to operate on the organs inside the abdomen or pelvis without making large cuts.
Rugby resident Nicola-Marie Gibson was the first to receive the new service when she had her gallbladder removed by Upper GI Surgeon Mr Euan McLaughlin and his team.
She sad: “It has really impacted my life – I’ve had nine admissions to hospital since being diagnosed at the end of June.
“I’ve two young children, four and six, and I feel I’ve not been a mom to them over this period, plus I haven’t been able to go and see my other children who live down south.
“It was great that I was able to have the surgery in Rugby as it was a lot more convenient for me and my family. The staff were really friendly and I was home the same day.”
The move is part of a commitment by University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire (UHCW) NHS Trust to treat people closer to home and increase the range of treatments on offer.
UHCW Chief Medical Officer Jonathan Young said: “I am delighted that we can now offer these treatments at Rugby to Nicola and other patients.
“A lot of hard work has gone into making this come to fruition, including investing in new equipment, and I want to thank everyone involved. This is a clear demonstration of the Trust’s commitment to the development of the Hospital of St Cross.”
The extended service follows on from the hospital being accredited as an elective surgical hub, delivering high standards in clinical and operational practice as part of the Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) programme run by NHS England and the Royal College of Surgeons of England.
Other new services – such as keyhole abdominal surgery, plus an expansion in spinal surgery and inpatient gynaecology – are planned in the next few years after planning permission was granted in February for four theatres and two 24-bed wards at the site.
