Appeal launched to get new eye surgery simulator for Dorset
The University Hospitals Dorset NHS charity is aiming to raise £200K
A hospital charity in Dorset is appealing for support to raise funds for a new eye surgery simulator.
The University Hospitals Dorset (UHD) NHS Charity is aiming to raise £201,000 for the kit, to help train surgeons.
The technology simulates the environment of surgery for common eye conditions, such as a cataract operation which can be very technically complex.
The eye sim will be situated at Royal Bournemouth Hospital’s eye unit, and will be used by trainee surgeons from across the Wessex area.
How does it work?
The simulator gives trainee surgeons a chance to learn how to operate in a small cube of 5x5x5mm, while also accounting for the natural movement of the eye.
Surgeons learn to work through a microscope, instead of directly viewing the eye, and manoeuvre the surgical instruments, with each hand and leg operating different controls at the same time.
This will be a new simulator for UHD, which first brought in a surgical simulator in 2013.
A new machine would use the very latest updates in technology and would be expected to have a lifespan of 10 years.
Ben Parkin, consultant ophthalmologist and oculoplastic surgeon and college tutor at University Hospitals Dorset said:
“I have worked as a surgeon at Royal Bournemouth Hospital for the last 19 years and experienced first-hand just how challenging surgery for common eye conditions like cataract and glaucoma can be. Purchasing the most up-to-date surgical simulator will advance our training further than ever, resulting in more highly skilled surgeons performing effective life-changing operations on patients at your local hospitals.
"Purchasing just one new surgical simulator will enable an estimated 75 trainee surgeons to learn the skills needed to perform over 30,000 sight-saving operations on ophthalmology patients at University Hospitals Dorset and across Wessex."
Mark Masters, former patient said:
“In January 2022, I underwent cataract surgery at Royal Bournemouth Hospital. I began to notice that my eyesight was deteriorating, and I was referred to the eye unit where it was confirmed that I had a cataract in my right eye.
"Since my operation, I’m amazed how much my sight has improved - the world is so much more vivid. Sight is a major part of life, so having the most up-to-date training equipment is vital for the eye surgeons who go on to improve the life of someone like me."
The UHD charity's appeal is now underway, and you can find out more and donate through their website.