Bexhill's keyhole surgery link

A GROUND-BREAKING surgeon has seen his pioneering keyhole surgery technique - pioneered at Bexhill Hospital - introduced at the Conquest Hospital.

Richard Yeo, 71, pioneered the operation in the South East 15 years ago.

He was a surgeon at the Conquest itself from 1968 to 1999 before retiring.

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Mr Yeo said: "It was really down to Bexhill Hospital's League of Friends who funded me to have the instruments for the surgery.

"I started it at Bexhill Hospital before it was done in London and before the hospital was turned into a day surgery unit.

"We were one of the first stand-alone units in the country and I presented a paper on the technique to the British Association of Day Surgery.

"In all I treated nearly 100 patients."

Mr Yeo, who owns Adams Farm in Crowhurst, perfected his technique after learning about it in Nashville in Tennessee in the USA ,and in Paris, France.

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He said: "They were two years ahead of us and this was a revolutionary type of surgery.

"Instead of having to stay in hospital for 10 days in a lot of pain patients could go home the same day."

The Observer recently reported that East Sussex Hospitals NHS Trust, which runs the Conquest, recently applied the operation at the hospital with the aim of making it part of day surgery.

The procedure, which is known as laparoscopic cholecystectomy among the medical profession, has been used for many years on patients with gall stones.

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Mr John Lyttle, Conquest consultant, has now developed a system where patients do not have to stay in hospital overnight.

So far, nine cases have been successfully treated as day-case patients since May.

Mr Lyttle said: "No-one wants to spend the night in hospital and we can now offer this for some people who need gall bladder surgery

"We carefully select the patients we treat as day-cases to minimise the risk of post-operative problems. Day-case patients must also have a good support network at home."

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Following surgery patients are transferred to the short stay unit and on discharge, they are given a phone number to contact during their first night, or at any other time, if they are experiencing problems.

Mr Yeo said he was quite pleased and honoured that the Conquest had adopted the operation.

The surgeon, who still does minor surgery for GPs and laser cosmetic surgery, runs ALS Cosmetic in Abbey Court, Battle.

He added: "I did teach my colleagues, including Mr Lyttle, the technique and it has been progressing quite well.

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"It is a very good thing because firstly it is much less pain for the patient after the operation and secondly it allows them to go home sooner and saves hospital beds and eases bed blocking.

"The technique is quite standard now throughout the country."

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