A Hull surgeon and his team are leading the way when it comes to epilepsy management.
Neurosurgeon, Mr Adam Razak, and colleagues at Castle Hill Hospital in Cottingham are understood to be among the first in the country to conduct battery changes for vagus nerve stimulators in a dedicated day case facility.
Vagus nerve stimulation is a technique used to manage the symptoms of epilepsy in adults and children of all ages. VNS Therapy works by implanting a small device under the skin in the chest which is then connected to the left vagus nerve in the neck with a thin wire lead. VNS Therapy delivers mild pulses to the brain through the vagus nerve to help prevent seizures before they start, and help them stop if they do. Batteries last approximately five years before they need replacing.
Previously, a patient who required their battery device changing would have been admitted to a bed at Hull Royal Infirmary. Short notice cancellations would often occur if a bed were needed for more urgent surgery, and low bed availability would often mean only two or three patients could be treated in a day.
Now, within the new £10m* Day Surgery Unit at Castle Hill Hospital, patients requiring a VNS Therapy battery change can be admitted, operated on and discharged within a couple of hours. There is much more certainty around appointment dates and as many as eight or nine procedures can be carried out each day, helping to reduce waiting lists and deliver a much better experience for patients.
Mr Razak says:
“Moving this type of surgery from main hospital theatres to a day case unit was not without its challenges, but it’s precisely the type of surgery our new Day Surgery Centre was built for and ultimately it’s the best thing for our patients.
(L-R) Mr Adam Razak and Natalie Bailey
“In the past, we have had to cancel patients’ surgery just prior to their date, or even on the day of the procedure, because the bed was needed for more urgent work. As Hull Royal is so busy, it can often be subject to low bed availability, and that also limited the number of patients we could admit for the procedure, leading to several hours of empty theatre time between patients.
“By carrying out the VNS Therapy battery changes in the Day Surgery Centre, we have much greater capacity to admit, operate and discharge within the day, meaning greater certainty for patients, a reduction in the time people are waiting for battery changes, and it frees up our theatres at Hull Royal Infirmary for more complex or urgent operations.
“As a surgeon, it’s also a much more productive use of my time. The surgery itself only takes 15 or 20 minutes so I can help many more patients in a single day. Having a battery run flat could lead to uncontrolled epileptic seizures, so it’s really important to provide as many patients as we can with timely battery changes.”
Natalie Bailey is the VNS Therapy Representative (North) for Livanova, the supplier of VNS Therapy devices and batteries, and works closely with Dr Razak and his team. She says:
“We understand just how important it is for patients with an illness like epilepsy to have their condition under control, and we see first-hand just how beneficial VNS Therapy can be if medication proves unsuccessful.
“The new Day Surgery Centre at Castle Hill Hospital offers a much more modern and suitable facility in which to be providing VNS Therapy battery replacements, and we’re proud to be involved in delivering this type of surgery, and supporting local patients, in such a pioneering way.”
* Phase 1 of the development cost £10 million