Mr. David Bosanquet, a Consultant Vascular Surgeon at the South East Wales Vascular Network, based at the University Hospital of Wales, recently visited Huntleigh’s head office. He took the time to discuss the significant impact of the Single Use Intraoperative Probe on vascular surgery. Our goal was to gain deeper insights into the procedures of intraoperative monitoring.
Vascular surgery is a complex field that requires precision and reliable tools to ensure successful outcomes. One such tool is the Dopplex Single Use Intraoperative Probe, which has become essential in modern vascular surgery. It offers immediate feedback on blood flow, ensuring that vascular surgeons can make informed decisions during surgery.
Mr. Bosanquet specialises in a wide range of arterial operations, including bypasses, revascularisation of legs, open and endovascular aortic surgery, carotid surgery, and amputations. He emphasises that vascular surgery involves identifying and connecting inflow and outflow vessels to restore blood flow, primarily focusing on the lower legs. This often involves treating patients with gangrene or foot pain due to diabetes or smoking.
Mr. Bosanquet clarifies that vascular surgeons do not operate on the heart or the brain but on all other arteries and veins, with most work concentrated on the legs. He describes the intricate and aesthetically pleasing nature of the surgery, which requires magnifying glasses for precision. The smallest vessels they work with are about 2-3mm in diameter, beyond which bypass surgery becomes impractical.
Mr Bosanquet states about the Dopplex probe,
“It’s a probe that you can apply to a vessel, and you get an audible and a graphical representation of the flow of blood that is occurring through that vessel. It’s sort of essential part of vascular surgery.”
We asked Mr. Bosanquet about the advantage of using a surgical probe over palpating with a finger. He responded
“You’ve done a bypass from the groin artery to the knee artery, let’s say you take off the clamps. You will be able to see pulsation within the vessel and you will be able to put your finger on it and feel it. That does give you some information that there’s pressure coming down to that vessel, but you can’t be certain if there’s actual flow. You can release the clamps, and your bypass graft can essentially be running into an occluded system, you can have a fantastic pulse, but there’s no flow. This is why you need an intraoperative Doppler probe to be able to actually demonstrate that you’ve got successful flow.”
We asked what confidence it gives him and his team using the surgical probe. Mr Bosanquet explains that the probe provides immediate feedback on the success of the operation, allowing the team to decide whether to proceed with closing or extend the surgery if necessary. The probe ensures that patients are not sent to recovery with a failing graft, offering rapid, reliable, and easy-to-use confirmation of successful blood flow. This confidence in the probe’s effectiveness is crucial for the surgical team’s decision-making and patient outcomes.
The Dopplex Single Use Intraoperative Probe has transformed vascular surgery by providing reliable and immediate feedback on blood flow. This innovation enhances patient care and surgical outcomes, making it an indispensable tool for vascular surgeons like Mr. Bosanquet.
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