Most weeks, at least 20 patients undergo a colonoscopy or gastroscopy at our Camperdown Hospital. Close to 40 percent of these investigative procedures identify polyps (abnormal collections of tissue) which are safely removed at the time in what is a relatively non-invasive procedure – providing these polyps are not large or complicated. The safe removal of complicated and/or larger polyps require an argon plasma diathermy unit to control potential blood loss during surgery. Until now, patients in this situation have had to be referred to a hospital with an argon plasma diathermy unit, such as our Warrnambool Base. For a patient, this means a second trip to hospital, a second anaesthetic, and a second period of recovery. For us, it means a second operating team and a second operating theatre becomes unavailable for other surgical patients.
Camperdown nurse unit manager Nikki Delaney has dreamed for years of her theatre owning an argon plasma diathermy unit. ‘This is a game changer to the treatments we will now be able to provide,’ she explains.
As we said at the top of this story, two pieces of medical equipment have been funded by this wonderful donor who wishes to remain anonymous. In all, $70,000 was gifted. The remaining $31,000 has allowed us to buy a panda warmer for our Camperdown midwifery suite. Now on order, this piece of medical equipment has special heating properties that keep unclothed and unwrapped newborns toasty-warm whilst our paediatric team does a check to see everything’s A–OK.
Photo: Camperdown Hospital registered nurses Amanda Castersen (from left) and Majella Place, theatre nurse unit manager Nikki Delaney and registered nurse Jodie Crossman with their first-ever $39,000 argon plasma diathermy unit.