New technology for Stepping Hill Hospital’s surgical teams is helping them to provide additional imaging facilities for diagnosing and operating on patients.

The ‘Mini C-arm’ scanner allows excellent quality imaging for patients on their hand and wrist, or their foot and ankle procedures. It uses x-rays to produce real time images, similar to a video, to diagnose a number of conditions such as arthritis or ankle or wrist fractures.

The scanner is portable and uses the highest quality stable and clear images, allowing the surgeon to operate with precision during procedures.

It can be used by the consultant themselves, freeing up radiographers for other diagnostic work, which in turn is helping to reduce waiting times, and increases theatre efficiency.

It also uses less radiation than other scanners, ensuring safer standards of surgery. Around 500 patients a year will benefit.

Iain McLaughlin-Symon, Consultant Trauma and Orthopaedic surgeon said “The Mini C-Arm is a brilliantly versatile piece of technology which allows us to make the best use of our resources in providing hand, wrist, foot and ankle imaging for our patients.

It allows us to get the highest quality images in the simplest possible way, which is great news for the many patients who will benefit from this in the months and years to come.”