Tube gets in quick smart
BY ANNE TARASOV
4/02/2009 11:38:00 AM
PATIENTS with kidney failure will be able to undergo treatment much faster thanks to a procedure recently developed at Liverpool Hospital.
The hospital's renal unit recently won the Australian Council on Healthcare Standards gold medal for adopting a treatment that eliminates some surgery.
Jeffrey Wong, director of Interventional Nephrology said the department was the first in Australia to incorporate the technique, a quicker way of inserting dialysis catheters into the stomach cavity, into daily use.
``It's a way of putting a catheter in without the patient having to go under a general anaesthetic. We do it as a one-day procedure, with local anaesthetic, so the patient doesn't have to stay overnight,'' Dr Wong said.
``The catheter needs to be inserted into the patient's body as an access point for dialysis, which removes toxins from their blood.
``After the catheter is in, a device is attached to it, which drains the toxins out of the body.
``This new approach has allowed the patients to have the procedure done more quickly, because we don't need to liaise with any other departments to organise the operation.
``We have a dedicated room at the unit for the procedure and staff that are trained to it on site from beginning to end.
``That is when delays often arise, when patients need to wait for operating theatres and an anaesthetist to be available.''
http://liverpool.yourguide.com.au/news/local/news/general/tube-gets-in-quick-smart/1424699.aspx
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