Our major appeal to secure the most advanced surgical robot of its kind for Sheffield has received a £43,000 boost.
Sheffield Hospitals Charity (SHC) – the official charity for the Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust – has made the donation to back our £250,000 ROSA Robot Appeal.
We are the charity that supports the work of internationally renowned neurosciences and neurology departments across the Trust.
Thanks to our appeal the Royal Hallamshire is now the only NHS hospital in the UK to have a ROSA surgical robot which could transform the lives of thousands of people needing complex brain surgery.
Just like a GPS system, ROSA provides neurosurgeons with extraordinarily accurate 3D maps of the brain, allowing them to precisely and safely reach areas they could not reach before.
This offers real hope for people with poorly controlled epilepsy, as well as patients with deep-seated brain tumours, Parkinson’s Disease and other complex brain disorders.
But to keep this state-of-the-art technology in Sheffield, Neurocare needs to raise £250,000. The donation from SHC has now taken the appeal past the £200,000 mark.
Beverley Webster, our Chair of Neurocare, said: “We are delighted to receive this generous donation from Sheffield Hospitals Charity which is a fabulous example of how local charities can work in close collaboration for the benefit of patients.”
Using an advanced computer system, ROSA allows neurosurgeons to create precise 3D maps of a patient’s brain so they can plan the best route for surgery, guiding the robot’s arm and instruments to the exact location of the seizure, tumour or biopsy.
ROSA’s pinpoint precision is far less invasive and has the potential to reduce surgery times by as much as 40 percent, greatly improving recovery and surgical outcomes. The robotic arm mimics the movement of the human arm and can use instruments as thin as a needle.
By the end of the year, it is hoped that the ROSA will also be used in Sheffield for complex spinal surgery, significantly reducing the risks and complications for patients with a range of degenerative spine diseases, trauma, deformities and spinal tumours.
David Reynolds, Executive Director of SHC, said: “ We wanted to support this groundbreaking equipment as it has the potential to impact on so many lives and as a charity, we are passionate about making life even better for patients.”
As we tip over the £200,000 we are now looking to securing the final £50,000 to complete our campaign and secure ROSA robot. If you would like to get involved and help us complete this ground-breaking appeal then please get in touch. info@neurocare.org.uk / 0114 226 9678
