Film crew focuses on vascular team
Vascular surgeons and interventional radiologists from the West London Vascular and Interventional Centre (WeLVIC) held a two day training course on complex lower limb arterial recanalization at Northwick Park Hospital.
Six visiting consultants watched five different procedures led by consultants Dr Lorenzo Patrone and Mr Selva Theivacumar.
The team used a technique for arterial recanalization and stent deployment that involved keyhole entry through the middle of the thigh.
Two of the most complex procedures were recorded by a film crew from Vascular News for use as online teaching aids.
The first patient was treated for a chronic foot infection that refused to heal through lack of arterial blood flow to the leg, while the second couldn’t walk more than 20 yards because of poor blood supply to his calf muscles.
More than 40cms of lower limb arteries were reopened in both patients including the insertion of stents to keep the arteries open.The use of keyhole entry allowed both to return home the same day.
Dr Lorenzo Patrone, a Vascular and Interventional Radiologist at WeLVIC, said: “We’ve recently moved into a new purpose built facility at Northwick Park enabling vascular surgeons and interventional radiologists to work as a single department. This is a pioneer type of organisation that is still uncommon.
“There is so much we can achieve by working more closely alongside one another and have already carried out a number of complex procedures very rarely see in the UK.”
Visiting surgeons also attended the team’s weekly multi-disciplinary team meeting on how to best to treat patients with complex diabetic foot problems.
The meeting brings together vascular surgeons, interventional radiologists, musculoskeletal radiologists, endocrinologists, pharmacists, podiatrists, microbiologists, diabetologists to collectively discuss cases.
Professor Martin Malina, who has overseen the creation of the new centre and its recent relocation, added: “North West London has a higher-than-average incidence of vascular disease and our goal is to create a centre of excellence that matches that of the major teaching hospitals.
“We’re already getting a reputation as a leading centre for the care of Critical Limb Ischemia patients in UK and the increased interest in learning from our daily work confirms that.