Press Release
24th June 2011
Burton Hospitals’ live telesurgery sets its sights on North America
Surgeons at Burton Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust aim to set up live surgery teaching links with Harvard University in North America.
As a result of close collaboration with surgical colleagues in Utrecht, Holland, Beziers, France, Pisa, Italy and Wexham Park in the UK, the Telemedicine a la CarteTM partnership aims to link with the USA with sites like Harvard University in Boston who have come forward to express an interest in joining the group.
Enthusiasm for real time surgical teaching links has blossomed following live point to point telesurgery training sessions which took place between the UK and mainland Europe in 2010 and again in May this year in High Definition.
This year's network link from Queen's Hospital for Specialist Registrar Surgical trainees and their trainers from across the Midlands region and UK enabled them to watch surgical demonstrations and interact in real-time with the operating surgeon.
This unique surgical event has evolved as a result of collaboration between John Oates, Consultant ENT Surgeon at Queen's Hospital and surgical colleagues Professor Wilko Grolman of the department of ENT at the University Medical Centre in Utrecht, Dr Robert Vincent in Beziers, France, Dr Franco Trabalzini at the University Hospital Pisa, Italy and Mr Christopher Aldren at Wexham Park Hospital in the UK, who are recognised leaders in the field of ear surgery.
After close teaching contacts for over a decade between the internationally renowned Causse Ear Clinic in France and Queen's, John Oates and Robert Vincent formulated the idea for the Live International Otolaryngology Network (LION) in 2003. Its success at transmitting live surgery to over 50 countries spawned the exciting development of Tele-Medicine a la Carte envisaged and hosted by Wilko Grolman from Utrecht.
Mr Oates said: "Feedback from colleagues has been by far the best we have ever had. Young surgeons are keen to see live surgical tuition by HD link rolled out both across the region and the UK."
"We are likely to form a permanent regular teaching link with France, Holland, Germany, Italy and top clinics in the USA to start with together with selected UK hospitals.
"The teaching potential of new technologies like this is enormous and revolutionising medical training.
"Our aim is to deliver on demand medical teaching which will play an important role in future medical training, both in the UK and around the world. It is even more exciting that the concept of Tele-Medicine a la Carte will enable trainees to choose the particular areas they wish to concentrate on to hone their surgical skills and benefit patients and interact with the surgeon independently wherever in the world surgery is taking place.
"Live observation and interaction with the surgeon is an essential part of training for all surgeons. Telesurgery allows colleagues and trainees a much broader exposure to the different surgical techniques available. It is extremely time efficient and cost effective, eliminating the time and expense normally incurred in travelling to distant units to see the procedures in person.
"We look forward to a time, in the not too distant future when this will be an integral part of medical training, both in the UK and worldwide. We are proud to be pioneering its delivery."
Mr Oates added: "I am tremendously proud to work with talented medical colleagues, nursing and para medical team members at Queen's Hospital who have put Burton in the vanguard of middle ear surgery. This initiative will improve patient care by allowing us to share this experience with colleagues elsewhere and benefit our own skills by gaining knowledge from watching their expertise."
More information about the LION Foundation can be found on its website at www.lion-web.org
ENDS
Notes to editors
Formed in 1983 as an NHS Trust and acquiring Foundation status in November 2008, Burton Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is the principal provider of acute hospital services for the residents of Burton upon Trent and surrounding areas including Tamworth, Lichfield, South Derbyshire and North West Leicestershire.
The Trust serves a population of some 260,000 and the total site covers 49 acres – 28 acres on the main site and 21 acres on the Outwoods site.
Issued by Burton Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Communications Team, Queen's Hospital, Belvedere Road, Burton on Trent, Staffordshire DE13 0RB.
If you require any further information, please contact Pam Beecham, Communications Officer, Burton Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust on 01283 566333 ext 5478 or email pamela.beecham@burtonh-tr.wmids.nhs.uk or visit www.burtonhospitals.nhs.uk