Revolutionary surgical kit funded by Leeds Hospitals Charity can be used on patients as young as three months

The new AirSeal, funded by Leeds Hospitals Charity, means thousands of patients each year can benefit from operations requiring minimal access.

It is also contributing towards making surgery safer during the coronavirus pandemic by helping to reduce the potential spread of viruses.

Professor Ram Subramaniam, a consultant in paediatric urology at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, said: "Thanks to this equipment, we’ve been able to operate under considerably lower pressures than we previously did.

"This has also meant that the age of patients we perform these procedures on has come down from children at one year old, to children around six months and even three months old.”

The equipment was secured thanks to donations made to the charity by people in Leeds as well as a very generous £10,000 contribution from Simplyhealth.

Leeds Hospitals Charity, the trust's dedicated charity, provides an average of £5m each year towards equipment, services, education and research.

With more regular donors, it would be able to do even more to back projects that the NHS does not fund but which have the potential to do so much good for hospital staff and patients.

It is why the Yorkshire Evening Post is asking readers to back the Help Your Hospitals campaign by becoming a friend of the charity and helping to raise an additional £3m during 2021.

The Airseal funded by the charity helps surgeons to operate in a clearer field while minimising smoke created during procedures that use diathermy - electrically induced heat to help relieve pain - inside the abdomen. This allows for quicker abdominal operations, reduces pain and increases patient stability under anaesthetic.

Prof Subramaniam said: "The theatres staff are extremely grateful that Leeds Hospitals Charity have funded this piece of equipment.

"Some of the procedures we would usually do could potentially transmit viruses due to aerosol generation, so equipment like the AirSeal is so important to combat this and ensure we keep both our patients and staff safe, especially in the current climate with the pandemic."

Offering his own thanks to the charity's existing donors and supporters, he added: "The charity has done a great deal to help provide excellent quality care for our patients and it is very

much appreciated."

Text FRIEND to 70660 to donate £5 a month or visit leedshospitalscharity.org.uk to set up a regular donation for any sum or make a one-off gift to the charity.

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What is Leeds Hospitals Charity?

Leeds Hospitals Charity - previously known as Leeds Cares - is the dedicated charity for Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust.

The charity works closely with the team of more than 18,000 people who work at our local hospitals to support projects that the NHS does not fund, helping to relieve pressure on staff and make a real difference to the experience of patients and their families.

With the support of generous donors, it makes that valuable contribution by raising funds for equipment, services, education and research.

The charity provides support for eight areas which include Leeds General Infirmary, Leeds Children’s Hospital, Leeds Cancer Centre, St James’s University Hospital, Chapel Allerton Hospital, Seacroft Hospital, Wharfdale Hospital and Leeds Dental Institute.

It supports NHS staff working at each of those locations to deliver the best care for more than a million patients and their families each year.

Working with local communities, schools and businesses across the city and beyond, it provides an average of £5m in additional funding for the trust each year.