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FREE - PLEASE TAKE ONE Issue 30 News from University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

Penny’s life- saving decision Neonatal job is dream come true SPOTLIGHT for Emily ON MAJOR TRAUMA Aaron – WIN! survival An against iPod shuffle the odds mediamonitor the latest UHS news

Welcome to issue Surgeons halve recovery time with 30 of Connect pioneering knee repair operation In this issue... UHS in the news 2 Surgeons at Southampton General would be required Op changes Vinny’s life 3 Hospital have pioneered an early- for up to six Major trauma special 4/5 stage operation to repair damaged weeks following Spouting off with Tim Underwood / knees without the need for a total full surgery. Research a life saver for Penny 6 replacement – halving recovery times. Professor David Barrett, a consultant Dream job for Emily 7 The technique, known as orthopaedic surgeon and the first in Dear Connect/Fundraising connection 8 bicompartmental knee resurfacing, the UK to perform the procedure, involves replacing only the areas of said: “While total replacements, Tell us what you think... cartilage affected by arthritis and which can last for up to 20 years, have Let us know what you think of Connect, avoids removal of the ligaments – always been and remain a suitable plus tell us what news and features you’d enabling more natural movement option for people over 65, they can like to see in future editions. immediately after surgery. wear out much faster in younger, Email [email protected] Using resurfacing, only the ligament more active patients but, until on the inside of the knee and the recently, there was no alternative Write to Communications, Mailpoint 18 kneecap are affected when a surgeon for them. Southampton General Hospital removes sections of damaged cartilage “Now, with increasing numbers of Tremona Road, Southampton SO16 6YD and replaces it with plastic or alloy people in their 40s and 50s needing Telephone 023 8079 4853 metal implants. treatment, we are able to offer an Website www.uhs.nhs.uk The procedure sees patients leave alternative which extends the lifespan hospital after three days – less than of their knee and allows them to Connect is produced by UHSFT’s half the time it takes after total make a quick return to daily and communications team. replacement – without crutches, which sporting activities.”

The Trust is delighted toMediaMonito r MediaMonitor media monitor: This story was covered by The Daily Telegraph, The Sun, the , the Daily Mail, (), the announce that children’s Health Service Journal, The Independent, the , the Northern Echo, the Eastern , the Post, the Western surgery will remain Morning News, the Romsey Advertiser and the . at Southampton. Thank you to everyone who supported us throughout the campaign. Doctor calls for screening programme to cut liver death rate

Revolutionary A top doctor based at Southampton’s will send things spiralling out of university hospitals is calling for the control,” said Dr Wright. device to combat introduction of a national screening “With advances in technology, programme to cut the rising death such as the FibroScan, we are in a bladder problems rate from liver disease. better position than ever to tackle Dr Mark Wright, a consultant this crisis head-on as we can quickly Experts at Princess Anne Hospital urgent desire to urinate. hepatologist, spoke out following the and accurately assess people early on, have pioneered the use of a Using VERV, patients can send high unveiling of a hi-tech ultrasound probe without posing device to help people overcome frequency signals from the patch to diagnose liver damage without the any risks to embarrassing bladder problems through the skin to stimulate the need for invasive biopsies and overnight their health at the click of a button – without nerves at the base of the spine and hospital stays. or requiring drugs, needles or surgery. control their bladder contractions. The FibroScan, which uses sound them to stay The VERV system, which involves a Consultant urogynaecologist waves to assess the degree of tissue in hospital, small patch placed on the lower back Ash Monga, who worked on the damage, takes around ten minutes then give and a remote control, is the first tool development for eight years, said: to complete and gives specialists an them the to halt the symptoms of overactive “For the first time, patients have a immediate overview of a patient’s liver support they bladder (OAB) syndrome from outside non-surgical, drug-free, discreet and health through computerised images. need to fend the body via wireless technology. effective option which allows them “Deaths have increased by a quarter off potential The condition causes sufferers to pass to get their lives back without having in less than a decade and we are sat devastating small amounts of urine before they can to face an operating theatre or make on a triple ticking timebomb of the threats reach a toilet or feel a frequent and regular trips for hospital treatment.” consequences of alcohol, obesity and to their hepatitis which, if we don’t intervene, health.” MediaMonitor MediaMonitor media monitor: This story was covered by the Daily Mail, The Independent, the

Daily Mirror, the Chichester Observer, Observer, Shoreham Herald, the MediaMonitor MediaMonitor media monitor: This story was covered by The Independent, Association, Portsmouth News, County Times, the Sussex Express, the Petersfield the Aberdeen Press and Journal, , the Birmingham Mail, the South Post and the Southern Daily Echo. Evening Post, Heart South Coast, , Unity 101, FM and Jack FM.

CONNECT When you have finished with this magazine please recycle it. Printed on environmentally friendly paper. 2 ISSUE 30 Her smile says it all

This time last year, mum Esther Mullings had to watch helplessly as her son Vinny suffered painful spasms throughout his body.

Left brain-damaged following a was carried out at the scene before swimming pool accident, Vinny was the toddler was rushed to hospital in constantly being sick and unable to Limassol, where he spent two days in a enjoy anything. drug-induced coma. Now, after an operation to implant A specialist team from Southampton’s a special pump and catheter to slowly paediatric intensive care unit (PICU) drip muscle relaxant directly into the flew out to the holiday island to bring youngster’s spinal cord, Vinny is pain- him home. free with a transformed quality of life. Esther said: “The Cypriots were For Esther, husband Keith, an RAF communicating with the neurological sergeant, and older son Dennis, ten, it doctors back in the UK and told us means they can finally start enjoying Southampton was top-notch for some time together as a family again. treatment and after-care. The new start is thanks to an operation “That reassured me and a plane carried out by consultant neurosurgeon was organised for us to fly into Girish Vajramani at Southampton . Vinny was blue-lighted all General Hospital. the way to PICU.” to be discharged and the family set “We were all holding our breath as Vinny, who turned five in May, now Vinny had suffered a severe brain up home in Chilworth, Southampton, Vinny started looking around the room goes to a special school five days a week. injury through oxygen starvation in where community nurses helped with his and held his head up by himself for the Esther, 37, of Marchwood, near the accident. rehabilitation. first time.” Southampton, said: “Vinny is a Scans and tests subsequently confirmed Vinny’s consultant, Professor Colin Although Vinny remains short-sighted, different boy. he had dystonia – uncontrollable and Kennedy, began talking to the family his hearing is 100%. He says “mum” and “He is so much more alert and loves often painful muscle spasms caused about intrathecal baclofen therapy (ITB) communicates yes and no by blinking. his environment. He is just a joy. by incorrect signals from the brain. to help reduce stiffness in his body. Now Vinny returns to hospital every “We are not constantly standing over few months to have his pump topped him and worrying. Having the operation up with medication. has calmed him right down, and he is “We were all holding our breath Esther said she and Keith, 41, would be finally in a routine of being awake in the as Vinny started looking around forever indebted to the doctors, nurses, day and sleeping at night.” physiotherapists and other staff who had She added: “The best thing is that the room and held his head up by helped Vinny. he no longer spasms unless he is ill or “I cannot even begin to express our very tired. The spasms were extremely himself for the first time.” gratitude to the team at Southampton distressing and made him hot and dizzy.” General Hospital,” said Esther. Vinny was two when he nearly Although no cure, the condition can ITB is a system of administering muscle “Everyone we have met has been drowned in a friend’s swimming pool be controlled. relaxant directly into the spinal cord via a absolutely amazing. They have always in Cyprus, where the forces family were Vinny spent two-and-a-half months in pump and catheter. reassured us and spoken to us in just the based at the time. intensive care before transferring to the In November 2011, Vinny underwent right way. Emergency resuscitation high dependency unit and eventually a the procedure at the hands of Mr “Vinny is always going forward now side room. Vajramani. and we are so grateful for that.” Many difficult months went past in a A pump the size of a hockey puck was Professor Kennedy said: “In spite of the blur of spasms, drugs, sickness, feeding implanted into Vinny’s abdomen, with severe difficulties Vinny has with stiffness challenges and a bout of pneumonia. an attached catheter leading directly into and co-ordination of movement, it has “I am a military wife and thought I his spinal canal. always been easy to know whether was tough, but it was a terrible, terrible A computer was used to programme he is happy or, on the other hand, time,” said Esther. the pump to ensure it delivered the uncomfortable. “Vinny was constantly ill or crying, and correct dosage to keep Vinny’s spasms “We have thought for a long time I felt useless; I didn’t feel like a mum. under control. that he would benefit from this unusual “He couldn’t see or hear well and Eight hours after the operation, a special treatment using the implanted we were told his brain was busy physiotherapist sat Vinny up – and the pump and it is a real delight to see now re-programming itself.” results left his family stunned. the difference it makes to him written all Eventually, Vinny was well enough “It was amazing,” said Esther. over his face.”

CONNECT ISSUE 30 3 MAJOR TRAUMA

Aaron’s timeless tribute It was the ultimate way of showing his gratitude.

Cyclist Aaron Denham had survived I’m reminded how it feels to have him warm and pinned.” nothing more about Aaron other against all odds following a horrific someone around who I owe my Her decision to hold Aaron than a phone call from the police the road crash in which his neck not only life to.” prevented permanent spinal damage, day after the accident. broke but detached from his skull. That woman is former nurse Maria though the combination and extent She said: “Every day I went to the And just weeks after leaving Brasseur, 47, who had been of his injuries left everyone involved, allotment, I just waited to see hospital, the plucky 22-year-old pottering at her allotment when including the most experienced flowers because you need a bit of underwent the needle again – at the Aaron was knocked off his bike on medics, fearing the worst. closure, but the flowers never came.” hands of a tattoo artist. the busy Highbridge Road near The young carpenter had sustained Then, two months after the Aaron, from Fair Oak near Colden Common. serious head injuries, broken his accident, she received a call to say Southampton, wanted a permanent “I just heard this horrendous bang neck, pelvis, ribs, wrist and nose, Aaron had been told about her and reminder of the woman who saved his which sounded like a mass pile-up, so severed one of the main arteries in wanted to meet. life as he lay in agony on the roadside. I shot across the allotment and his neck, lacerated his spleen, bruised Maria and husband Luc travelled to Now not a day passes without clambered over an eight-foot fence, his spinal cord and suffered a Aaron’s rehabilitation centre in questions about Maria and 11 March though how I did that still amazes punctured lung. Salisbury where she was to have a 2011 – the name and date indelibly me,” said Maria, from Bitterne, Aaron was airlifted to Southampton second major impact. inked under a halo on his skin. Southampton. General Hospital’s specialist Aaron said: “When I met Maria I “Whenever someone asks me about “I found this young man trying to neurosciences intensive care unit and knew I had to get better and keep the tattoo, I tell them this woman lift his head up, so I forced him back put in a medically-induced coma, but working hard because this woman saved my life,” said Aaron, a to the ground and wrapped my body his mum Debbie, 48, and sister went to all that trouble to save me carpenter. “It’s the only way I could around his so he couldn’t move – I Leanne, 23, were told his chance of and I didn’t want her doing that for think of showing my appreciation. had a foot in his back, knee between survival was slim. no reason. “Every time I look in the mirror, his shoulders and my arms keeping In a dramatic twist after five nights “I knew I didn’t want to be in a on life support, a slight twitch of the wheelchair, I wanted to get on with hand marked the start of a it, get out of hospital and get out of I knew I didn’t want to be in a remarkable recovery that has rehabilitation. She gave me the astounded doctors. fight to succeed, to return to how wheelchair… She gave me the fight to Mother-of-four Maria had heard I was before.” succeed, to return to how I was before.” 200 197 9 Nearly 200 emergency flights have Between November and the end of The flights involved nine different FLIGHT used Southampton General June there were a total of 197 helicopter services, including Hospital’s helipad during landings – an average of one a day. and Air STATS its first eight months of operation. Of these, 20 were out of hours Ambulance, the police, coastguard (between 6pm and 8am). and RAF. Furthest afield was from Devon, for a patient who needed emergency neurosurgery.

CONNECT 4 ISSUE 30 MAJOR TRAUMA

Trauma centre ‘most exciting’ development

Many more patients like Aaron will benefit from immediate access to specialist treatment following the launch of a nationwide major trauma system in .

Dr Andy Eynon, director of major trauma at UHS, believes the development, which sees the creation of 22 major trauma centres, is one of the “most exciting in the NHS for a generation”. Southampton is one of only 12 recognised for the treatment of both adults and And that determination director of major trauma, said: children and expects to see the shone through. “When I saw Aaron in the number of major trauma cases Just three months after being emergency department I didn’t think rise from 400 to 600 per year. rushed to hospital, Aaron took his he’d make it – if he didn’t die he was More than half of all major first steps. By September he was likely to be paralysed from the neck trauma – the term used to discharged. down as his head had dislocated describe life-threatening “If Maria hadn’t done what she from his neck by over a centimetre. injuries commonly sustained did, I’d either be dead or paralysed,” “He beat the odds just to survive, but through road traffic accidents, he said. to go on and recover as strongly and falls, violence or sporting “Where I broke my neck so badly as quickly as he has is remarkable.” injuries – happens on the road and was moving so much, any one of and it is twice as common in the broken bones in urban areas than rural parts of my neck could have the country. cut my spinal cord.” Patients may now bypass He added: “I get lots their local hospital and instead of people asking me if go directly to Southampton if this tattoo is the their injury occurs within a name of my girlfriend 45-minute drive. but I tell them it’s my Those injured further afield second mum. are taken to their nearest “I let them know I trauma unit and assessed and was at death’s door resuscitated before being and this woman saved rapidly transferred if their my life and I want injuries require specialist everyone I meet to intervention. know my story.” Aaron’s neck tattoo Dr Eynon said: “The Dr Andy Eynon, development of this network and those across England gives patients the best chance of surviving and recovering from major trauma due to immediate access to the right 170 professionals, teams and The distance from helipad to equipment at anytime of the emergency department is just 170 day or night – the benefits of metres, the shortest journey of its going direct to a hospital that kind in the south of England. can provide all the necessary care hugely outweigh the risk of the additional drive time.”

CONNECT ISSUE 30 5 Spouting off with… Tim Underwood

Imagine working in a hospital with a catchment of 200 million people. Picture consultations based on CT scans alone, that take place with relatives rather than the patient themselves, in the knowledge that the same CT scans will be taken to doctors across town until the family get the opinion that they want. Oh, and to make things worse, you will be expected to see 50 patients (or their relatives) in two and a half hours. And don’t expect to see one family at a time, oh no, you will be expected to perform four or five consultations simultaneously in the same room… so much for confidentiality! Research study proved Envisage being a surgeon in a society that believes an operation is the only treatment for cancer…at any cost. And what if you knew that to prevent a life-saver for Penny violent attack by a patient’s relatives you had to take the specimen into the waiting Agreeing to be part of a research project was room to prove what you had done. Despite little standing in society you will probably the best decision Penny Powell ever made. at least be treated with respect by your work colleagues. When the 67-year-old respiratory “I thought we might have to say As chief of service you will have the patient signed up for the study, she goodbye to mum and was worried power to make changes without the had no idea it would end up saving the boys might not make it in time endless paperwork of the NHS. The her life. but, out of nowhere, she sat bolt hospital will invest properly in research, For when the former nanny failed upright in the bed – even the doctor Penny with Lindsay Welch, senior with a $3 million tissue bank providing to turn up for her appointment at jumped a mile!” respiratory research nurse two dedicated theatre staff and two Southampton General Hospital, it Penny spent 17 days in the high floors of laboratory space. was the research team who raised dependency unit but, remarkably, Junior doctors don’t worry about hours the alarm and asked police to break suffered no long-term damage. study to discover which bacteria and work tirelessly producing paper into her home. Now in a new warden-assisted and viruses cause a worsening after paper with no fuss or moaning. Officers found Penny, who suffers home near her daughter, Penny says of symptoms. You don’t have to worry about ethics from chronic obstructive pulmonary she will be forever indebted to the As part of the research, Penny had committees, and clinical trials can respiratory biomedical research unit to keep an electronic diary of how be completed easily when you are …I will be forever team who raised the alarm. she felt every morning and evening performing 650 oesophagectomies a grateful to the “By the time anybody had got to and, if she felt her condition year (a surgeon in the UK will perform a research team for me at home, I think it would have deteriorate, would call the research maximum of 75). the lengths they been too late – if I hadn’t been on team to book an appointment. If this sounds like your bag, get yourself the study then I wouldn’t be here Because her breathing had become to Shanghai, a booming mega-city went to for me. today,” she said. restricted and her energy levels where old China has crashed head-long disease (COPD), unconscious in “The fact they knew so much had dropped, she had made an into unchecked US style capitalism with bed at her home in Portswood, about my history and had such an appointment with the researchers spectacular results. Southampton, and arranged for interest in my condition and health on a Monday morning. her to be rushed to the emergency also played a major part in the time When she failed to turn up, the department by ambulance. invested in me. I will be forever team didn’t assume she had forgotten The mother-of-four was in a grateful to the research team for and made every effort to contact Tim Underwood, critical condition and doctors were the lengths they went to.” her, also trying her sister, GP surgery, MRC clinician concerned she would never wake Penny, who was diagnosed with community nurses and pharmacist to scientist from an induced coma. COPD more than five years ago, had see if anyone had seen her. specialising If she did, they expected her to been asked to join a pioneering After all enquiries drew a blank, in upper have suffered significant brain they called the police and asked gastrointestinal damage as her oxygen supply had them to break in to her home. surgery, has been so compromised. Dr Simon Bourne, respiratory recently visited Fudan WHAT IS COPD? With the prognosis looking grim, consultant and study lead, said: University cancer centre in Penny’s daughter, Philippa, 27, Chronic obstructive pulmonary “Penny was admitted with septic Shanghai. called her three brothers and told disease (COPD) is the name shock and was immediately For more information, go to them to hurry to hospital as quickly given to a collection of lung transferred to resus. www.southampton.ac.uk/ as they could. diseases, including bronchitis “If she’d been left any longer she medicine/about/staff/tju.page But Penny, who has also worked and emphysema, which cause would have almost certainly died as a landlady, postmistress, book- the airways to become inflamed at home. The team performed a keeper and charity shop volunteer, and narrowed, making it hard fantastic job in chasing this up and If you have a burning issue you’d like to get took everyone by surprise. for sufferers to breathe. without a doubt saved her life off your chest, email [email protected] Philippa, from Lymington, said: through their quick thinking.”

CONNECT 6 ISSUE 30 A dream come true For most of us, childhood dreams never come true.

But not so for Emily Boylett, who has bottom, I wanted fulfilled her lifelong ambition to care to work in this for some of the smallest babies at department and show the hospital where her life began 21 my appreciation to years ago. all the staff who had Born extremely sick and premature helped my mum and at 24 weeks, weighing only 1lb 11 oz, I all those years ago,” she spent more than 100 days in the she explained. Emily with matron Carol Woolridge neonatal unit at Southampton’s On completing a Princess Anne Hospital. childcare course, she And, from the moment she was able applied for a senior to understand what happened in healthcare assistant role the first year of her life, it has been and was interviewed by the night nurse story with the perfect ending,” said much touch and go. Emily’s dream to work in the unit that who cared for her, Carol Woolridge, Carol. “I remembered Emily from all “To see her working on the unit is saved her life and make a difference. now the neonatal team matron. those years ago as she was with us just amazing – it’s a dream come true “Even if it meant starting at the “This is such a lovely for such a long time and it was very for all of us.”

Emily at 24 weeks

CONNECT ISSUE 30 7 dear Find out more... Sign up to Southampton Hospital Charity’s newsletter to receive connect i more news and fundraising information. Email [email protected]

After supper one evening The fundraising in June 2010, I connection collapsed Call Southampton Hospital Charity on 023 8079 8881 or visit www.uhs.nhs.uk/charity in my bedroom. My wife called the NHS helpline and paramedics arrived within ten minutes, summoned an ambulance and I was in the emergency department at Southampton General 20 Delivery of life-saving minutes later. The medical teams found that I had a major bowel obstruction, the vehicles to Ghana cause being a blood clot blocking the blood supply to the small intestine. They may not be A team from the Trust, led by although we are making a difference The situation was serious. During consultant anaesthetist Malvena in terms of the care we are providing the first operation, surgeons your usual looking Stuart-Taylor and former NHS at central hospitals, we have discovered gangrene had developed ambulances, but two manager Nick Eastcott, raised money observed a massive problem in terms and, in the following days, I for the life-saving vehicles through of people who are very ill actually underwent four major operations Nissan patrol cars are charity Afrikids and delivered them getting to hospital. which saw the removal of 1.5 metres changing the lives of in person to the Bolgatanga “Although care is available, patients of intestine. hospital in Ghana during a 5,000- are dying before they make it to I spent some time in intensive many people across mile road trip. hospital so in collaboration with the care before moving to the high the upper east region After three weeks struggling Ghana Health Service, Afrikids and dependency unit and finally E8. with breakdowns, heat exhaustion UHS, we have for the last year been I was fed using a line in my chest of Ghana. and even a military coup in Mali, organising the delivery of these much with a system called total parental the team made it to an amazing needed vehicles that will cover a nutrition (TPN), where food is welcome from the people of Ghana. region the size of Wales and support prepared in a liquid form in the Dr Stuart-Taylor said: “I have seven hospitals. laboratory and fed into the body for volunteered at medical centres “Mobile telecommunications signal periods of 12 to 24 hours daily. across Ghana on many occasions and, is surprisingly good in the area so we I ate no food for the next eight look forward to these ambulances months and recovery was slow – making an immediate impact on but positive. outcomes for patients as they get to I was discharged in December hospital much quicker.” but remained on TPN at home. My The ambulance numbers in the area bedroom was transformed into a have tripled with their arrival and it mini-ward, with medical supplies, a was the local Ghanaians who advised fridge containing the bagged food that 4X4 Nissan patrol cars would be and twice-daily nursing visits. the most appropriate for the region. Four months later, I had recovered enough to face reconstructive surgery which involved the reconnection of the intestines and the removal of the stoma tube, after If you would like to support which I was able to eat normal food. projects like this, go to Initially meals were small and soft, www.gaspartnership.org for since my bowels had to wake up further information or donate after a nine month “sleep”. directly at www.justgiving.com/ I have now regained much of my Ambulances-to-Africa body weight and I exercise daily, Photo © Dave Brown 2012 garden, fish, walk in the forest and even play some golf. My story is a miracle and I now know it is a reflection of what is Sudoku challenge achieved daily by our NHS and, in WIN! this case, Southampton General Win an iPod shuffle Hospital. Enter numbers from 1 to 9 into the blank squares, so that The immediate on-call response, every row, every column and every 3x3 square has one of each digit. the hospital’s actions in ED and Send your entry in the post to Connect, Mailpoint 18, Southampton the skill and professionalism of the General Hospital, Tremona Road, SO16 6YD to be in with a chance of medical, surgical and nutritional winning a 2GB iPod shuffle donated by Shelbourne Senior Living. teams saved my life, while the Entries close 14 September 2012. ongoing support I continue to Congratulations to Mrs M Oliver who receive from the chaplaincy is won the Sudoku challenge in issue 29. exceptional. A magnificent team at all levels.

Alan Swan, 73 Hythe