Kingston Hospital has recently opened a new state-of-the-art endoscopy suite for patients and is now leading the way in transnasal endoscopy across London and the South East.
The new endoscopy service which was relocated from Kingston Hospital’s Day Surgery Unit to Esher Wing, boasts separate changing pods, all with en-suite WC facilities, affording much greater privacy and dignity for those visiting the unit.
It also boasts the first nurse led dedicated transnasal endoscopy suite in London allowing for increased capacity, with the unit’s seven state-of-the-art Fuji 740 series transnasal scopes funded by Kingston Hospital Charity.
Transnasal endoscopy (TNE) has become more popular in the UK and Europe over the last few years due to the imaging and functional improvements of the transnasal scopes. TNE is known to be better tolerated than unsedated or sedated conventional endoscopy and offers a more comfortable and cost effective diagnostic procedure to patients, using an ultra-thin endoscope. They are used to investigate the upper gastrointestinal tract including the oesophagus, stomach and duodenum. Access is via the nasal passage rather than the mouth, making the procedure much more tolerable and comfortable. Sedation is not needed, which means patients can be discharged home without needing post-procedure recovery. TNE is particularly well suited for patients who are anxious or have found it difficult to tolerate traditional endoscopy, as well as for elderly patients and those with multiple comorbidities due to fewer adverse effects on the cardiovascular system.
Kingston Hospital’s longstanding experience in TNE has been acknowledged throughout London and the South East region and is now seen as a beacon for TNE procedures, by establishing itself as a hands-on training hub for external clinicians who want to upskill in this modality.
Michael Grimes, nurse consultant for endoscopy at Kingston Hospital, commented: “The generosity of Kingston Hospital Charity has massively contributed to the quality of service we are able to offer, while providing us with the capacity to expand. Most importantly the feedback from patients has been extremely positive to the new leading-edge scopes we are using.”
Michael Grimes and consultant gastroenterologist, Ralph Greaves, give a guided tour of the new endoscopy suite in the following short film: https://youtu.be/48QAzvjxroo
