The Pain and Neuromodulation Centre at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, under the leadership of clinical director Dr Adnan Al-Kaisy, has recently invested in SonoSite’s EDGE hand-carried ultrasound system for diagnosis and treatment of patients suffering from chronic pain.
Dr Tom Smith, consultant in pain medicine at the trust, said: “Many of the centre’s pain management procedures involve blocking or stimulating the peripheral nerves, and ultrasound-guidance makes a tremendous difference. It allows us to visualise the nerves and the needle during placement, making procedures easier and more efficient to perform, as well as safer for the patients.
“Previously, we relied on shared use of the anaesthetics department’s M-Turbo and S-Nerve systems, which had the potential for conflicting demands for the equipment. We needed an ultrasound system dedicated to our work, with low-frequency probes and which could be easily transported between theatres and clinics at different sites.
“The EDGE was the logical choice; it is very robust and portable – important criteria for equipment that is used in more than one location – and the image quality is excellent. We are now using ultrasound for more procedures, increasing flexibility in our worklist and, in some cases, even eliminating the use of X-ray guidance.”