New operating theatre gives Paul a new lease of life
Published 24 March 2023
The hospital’s endovascular theatre reopened on Monday following a major renovation, part of a £5 million transformation of the hospital’s Interventional Radiology Centre
Experts from the hospital’s interventional radiology and vascular teams successfully cleared a blockage in the main blood vessel in Paul Royle’s leg earlier this week
Mr Royle, 76, a retired HGV driver from Birchington spent more than 40 years driving a 44-tonne lorry
He said: “I’ve driven all around Europe. Spending about eight hours driving a day, five to six days a week, probably contributed to my leg problems.”
Severe leg pain left Mr Royle unable to walk from his home in Minnis Bay to the shops in Birchington without stopping along the way, which left him feeling increasingly isolated
“Even a trip to the paper shop around the corner was an outing. I could only walk a very short distance before severe cramp took hold in my lower leg
“Walking to the village involved three stops along the way. I got to know where all the benches and low walls were so I could take breaks which was fine if the weather was okay but not in inclement weather.”
“The doctor said that I should be able to skip to the village after my operation! I’ll be glad to walk to the village to have a drink with my friends this weekend and I’m looking forward to my holiday in Spain in June!”
Mr Royle was awake throughout the procedure which requires only a local anaesthetic. He said: “The doctor showed me what he was doing on the big screen next to me. I could see the pinch points in the blood vessel and when they inflated the balloon to open it.”
“They were so professional and caring – I take my hat off to them.”
The theatre’s advanced new imaging equipment allowed the clinical team to see far superior images of the vessels as they restored the flow of blood to Mr Royle’s lower leg and foot
The first phase of major transformation of K&C’s Interventional Radiology Centre saw a brand-new suite open last May, with a state-of-the-art procedure room, day-case unit, and recovery and anaesthetic rooms
The newly-renovated endovascular theatre doubles the centre’s capacity to treat patients which will reduce waiting times
These highly specialist facilities provide minimally-invasive, image-guided procedures that treat patients for conditions including blood clots, severe internal bleeding, aneurysms and cancer.