April 2010 Matron's Blog

Extension enhances Bristol's reputation as foremost city for complex surgery

15th April

We’re really excited here at Spire Bristol Hospital about the imminent opening of our brand new hospital extension.

Apart from making us the Spire group’s flagship hospital, it also means Bristol will become one of the country’s leading cities for the provision of vital health services, including complex life-saving cardiac and brain surgery, orthopaedics and other specialties.

We are already a national centre of excellence for cardiac, brain and spinal surgery and the new extension will provide many new services, including the reconstruction of our intensive care unit and a redevelopment and expansion of our theatres and recovery area.

We’re also delighted that BBC TV presenter Monty Halls will be guest of honour at Monday’s grand opening.

And let’s not forget what a “good news” story this is for Spire and Bristol because despite this terrible economic downturn here we are talking about a major investment in the city which will create a nationally-recognised flagship hospital with all the associated benefits and kudos that brings.

The new extension will also provide:

major investment in new surgical and diagnostic equipment
a total re-fit and expansion of the outpatient’s department, increasing the number of consulting rooms to 26
an internal refurbishment, including new patient bedrooms.

As well as cementing our reputation as a national centre of excellence the extension also allows us to make more efficient use of our space, improving the general environment for both patients and staff.

Planning a holiday? Then don’t leave varicose vein treatment until the last minute

8th April

The weather may be pretty bad at the moment but believe it or not we are now officially in British summertime.

And, inevitably, our thoughts turn to where we might go for our summer holidays and all the preparation that entails.

However, ladies, if you were thinking of getting your varicose veins treated before you jet off, my advice is: “Do it now!”

The problem is that treatment for varicose veins – whether through an operation or otherwise – can be time-intensive and no treatment yields immediate results.

And, if you do leave it too late, it is unlikely that you will be able to travel by aeroplane as there is an increased risk of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and airline companies will not allow you to fly.

Prior to any decision being made about most appropriate treatment patient’s must attend a consultation where they will be assessed and have a valve check in the groin or behind the knee.  If your valves are suitable for the injection therapy this treatment may require a course of injections over a period of several weeks (possibly up to eight weeks) to obtain a good result during which time you may need to wear surgical stockings and you may well be left bruised initially.

If, however, you are not suitable for injection therapy because your valves are not working properly, you might instead be recommended for an operation, which might take a week or two to book, followed by a three-week recovery period, plus you still won’t be allowed on a plane for up to two months because of the increased risk of DVT.

In addition, if you are taking the contraceptive pill or undergoing hormone replacement therapy, you need to stop for a full six weeks before any treatment for varicose veins can even begin!

The key thing here is to give yourself enough time. We offer a full  range of varicose vein treatments at Spire Bristol Hospital, but we see so many people  in June or July hoping to have the treatment done in time for their holiday – but by then it’s often far too late.

Pain Management

4th March

Ongoing pain is something that affects many of us in the UK, in fact according to this interesting piece of research up to 8 million of us suffer from it and there are now calls for pain to be recognised as a disease in its own right.

Whether it’s pain in your back, face or any other part of your body, it’s vital that you should see a specialist as soon as possible.

Spire Bristol Hospital offers a range of procedures carried out by experts in their field including physiotherapy, facial clinic and a spinal clinic for people with back, neck, arm and leg problems.