A life-saving machine designed to quickly spot blockages to blood flow was funded by the charity following the success of the Herd of Sheffield and patron Dan Walker’s annual golf day in 2016, as well as donations from Children’s Champions.
The fluoroscopy system allows our radiologists to see moving X-rays, providing rapid diagnosis when every second counts. Vascular trauma can lead to serious blood loss and disruption to parts of the body, and the time from diagnosis to treatment is critical. Loss of blood supply can cause tissue to die, meaning a child could lose their limb. In some cases, it can even be fatal.
A continuous X-ray beam is passed through the body part being examined, and the beam is transmitted onto a monitor, enabling surgical intervention with minimal scarring and without the child needing to go to theatre.
It is the gold standard for treating vascular trauma, and by funding the best equipment available, it means our patients can be treated here at the Children’s Hospital after previously being transferred by air ambulance to Leeds.
