‘Revolutionary’ AirSeal helps in surgery on babies as young as three months old

A REVOLUTIONARY piece of equipment is allowing surgeons at Leeds hospitals to perform transformative operations on children as young as three months old.

The new AirSeal, funded by Leeds Hospitals Charity, means thousands of patients each year can benefit from operations requiring minimal access.

It is also contributing towards making surgery safer during the coronavirus pandemic by helping to reduce the potential spread of viruses.

Professor Ram Subramaniam, a consultant in paediatric urology at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, said: “Thanks to this equipment, we’ve been able to operate under considerably lower pressures than we previously did.”

“This has also meant that the age of patients we perform these procedures on has come down from children at one year old, to children around six months and even three months old.”

The equipment was secured thanks to donations made to the charity by people in Leeds as well as a very generous £10,000 contribution from Simplyhealth.

Leeds Hospitals Charity, the trust’s dedicated charity, provides an average of £5m each year towards equipment, services, education and research.

With more regular donors, it would be able to do even more to back projects that the NHS does not fund but which have the potential to do so much good for hospital staff and patients. The Airseal funded by the charity helps surgeons to operate in a clearer field while minimising smoke created during procedures that use diathermy – electrically induced heat to help relieve pain – inside the abdomen.

This allows for quicker abdominal operations, reduces pain and increases patient stability under anaesthetic. Prof Subramaniam said: “The theatres staff are extremely grateful that Leeds Hospitals Charity have funded this piece of equipment.”

Text FRIEND to 70660 to donate £5 a month.