Leeds Cares has funded over £10,000 for a paediatric videoscope

Thanks to the generosity of our supporters, Leeds Cares recently purchased a new paediatric videoscope for the ENT (Ear, Nose and Throat) Children’s Hospital Outpatients Clinic.

The videoscope is a very small image sensor which can be inserted into children and babies’ nasal passages to examine the throat to diagnose problems.

10-week-old Alexander ‘Zander’ Cooke is one of the thousands of babies every year who will benefit from this new technology.

After his mum Charlotte noticed his breathing was loud and squeaky, Zander was referred to the ENT Outpatients Clinic his local hospital. Here he was examined using the new paediatric videoscope and diagnosed with Laryngomalacia.

Laryngomalacia occurs when the tissues above the vocal cords become floppy and partially block the airway opening.

Charlotte said, “I was so impressed at how quick the examination was and how little distress it caused Zander. It was so reassuring to fully understand the cause of his breathing problems when the footage was played back to me.”

Before the videoscope was installed, staff had been using technology that was two decades old. This equipment was heavy, difficult to manoeuvre and used an eye piece rather than a monitor, meaning that parents could not see how their child was being examined.

 

Sarah O’Donnell, ENT Consultant said, “I spent 15 years struggling to explain complex issues to the families of young patients. But now, thanks to the new videoscope I can use the videos and images we capture to visually explain our findings to parents, helping to reduce their anxiety.”