Ear, Nose & Throat and Head & Neck Patients can now be treated for painful conditions and go home the same day, thanks to your donations to University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire Charity.
Patients now have access to a pioneering new piece of camera equipment, known as a Sialendoscope, costing £6000.
This tiny, flexible camera helps surgeons see inside a person’s salivary glands. Sent through channels called ducts, saliva helps us chew and swallow, and keeps our mouths healthy. If the ducts become blocked, narrowed, or infected, it can cause pain and stops the flow of saliva. Using the camera, surgeons can diagnose problems and treat them using tiny instruments to remove small salivary stones, widen ducts and to give medicines such as antibiotics or steroids.
“UHCW is the first and only centre in the West Midlands, and one of the handful in the UK providing this service on a regular basis. Our patients are able to receive a National Institute of Clinical Excellence approved treatment rather than having to “put up with their symptoms” or be referred to far away centres like London” – Shashi Prasad, Consultant ENT, Head and Neck Surgeon
After many clinical and research studies, using a Sialendoscope has proven highly effective with minimal side effects. Patients can now go home the same day as the procedure, avoiding a hospital stay. Previously, people would need an invasive surgery, which has some risks, and which may also cause a visible scar.
Each year, over 20 people will benefit from the equipment’s use. It will also help surgeons work through the waiting lists made longer by services being shut due to COVID-19.
Thanks to your support, UHCW Charity can continue to provide funding for world-leading equipment that makes things better for our patients. Donate here