Mr George Mochloulis, Senior Consultant ENT Surgeon specialising in head and neck surgery and thyroid surgery, was delighted to be invited to be the first, worldwide, to trial and evaluate game changing nerve monitoring technology here at One Hatfield. The new NIM® VITAL Nerve Monitoring System from Medtronic enables the surgeon to reduce the risk of vocal cord dysfunction for patients undergoing critical thyroid surgery.
The thyroid gland produces important hormones which control your metabolism. You cannot usually see or feel it, but it is located in the lower part of the front of the neck, just in front of your windpipe. Thyroid surgery is often the best treatment for thyroid conditions such as an enlarged thyroid gland, non-cancerous or cancerous thyroid nodules, or an overactive thyroid gland. The nerves that control your vocal cords are just behind the thyroid gland. Patients can suffer temporary or permanent damage if a nerve is irritated or injured so monitoring nerve function during surgery increases patient safety.
The NIM System enables surgeons to reduce the risk of nerve damage during surgery by monitoring motor nerve function. Nerve monitoring electrodes are placed in the appropriate muscle locations and the system continuously monitors activity. When a particular nerve has been activated or stimulated during surgery, the NIM System provides audible and visual warnings every second for the surgeon and theatre team, helping to minimise any trauma to the nerve.
Mr Mochloulis is the highest volume thyroid and parathyroid surgeon in the region. He is a pioneer in continuous intra-operative nerve monitoring for thyroid surgery with an aim to provide safe surgery for benign and malignant thyroid disease, and was the first surgeon to introduce continuous intra-operative nerve monitoring in the UK. With such a reputation it was no surprise he was invited to trial this new technology.
Experts from Europe and the US, along with the team at Medtronic, and colleagues from East and North Herts NHS Trust, joined Mr Mochloulis via zoom to watch him perform surgery on two patients with thyroid cancer. The operations were successful and Mr Mochloulis was really impressed with the new technology.
“I was delighted to be chosen to trial this technology which includes a remote console to attach the electrodes and real life second by second audible warnings of potential damage to the recurrent laryngeal nerve. I look forward to using it for our patients at One Hatfield. I have dedicated my practice to providing safe surgery for thyroid patients and I know the technology will help me further to improve patients outcomes’
One Hatfield Hospital will be the first hospital in the UK to have this new nerve monitoring technology, available from September.
Mr 
George Mochloulis is a Senior Consultant ENT/Head & Neck/Thyroid Surgeon specialising in thyroid and parathyroid surgery, benign and malignant head and neck surgery, diseases of the salivary glands and management of children’s ENT problems. Read more here.
He has regular clinics at One Hatfield Hospital.
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