Patients in the South East of England are set to benefit from better diagnosis and treatment, Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust has announced.
The improvements derive from new advanced imaging equipment for the trust’s fluoroscopy interventional suite.
Fluoroscopy is a type of imaging that displays a continuous x-ray image – akin to a movie – that allows clinicians to observe the movement of body parts of surgical instruments in detail.
The approach is used for a variety of procedures such as barium x-rays to investigate the digestive system; when navigating a catheter through blood vessels or the urinary system; or placing devices like stents inside the body.
The upgrade has enabled Maidstone Hospital’s new fluoroscopy suite to welcome its first patients, with further features like special ceiling lights also affixed to help patients feel more at ease in what could be a very distressing time.
Aiding accessibility, the design of the machine means that patients can use it while standing up, which also supports examinations that require people to be upright – those on patients who have swallowing difficulties by the trust’s speech and language therapy team, for example.
Image credit: iStock
