Transforming heart care for newborns: Probo Medical’s support for Leeds Congenital Heart Unit

As a trusted leader in diagnostic imaging, Probo Medical supplies hundreds of pieces of equipment and parts every week. “While we may not always see the full extent of each equipment’s impact, stories like this empowers us to keep doing what we do everyday.”

The Leeds Congenital Heart Unit, supported by the Children’s Heart Surgery Fund (CHSF), is recognised for its excellence in the care of children with heart conditions.  We are proud to support the unit in the groundbreaking work they perform every day for newborns. Thanks to an extremely generous donation from the Children’s Heart Surgery Fund of £45,000 as part of a wider £100,000 Charity Campaign, the hospital purchased the IRadimed MRI Patient Monitor; a transformative piece of equipment for patients. As part of the donation, the J9 Advisory also funded the inclusion of two infusion pumps for the incubator in 2022, enabling uninterrupted delivery of lifesaving medications during MRI scans.

“I am thrilled that our £100,000 Charity Campaign has funded this essential monitoring equipment, and I want to extend my gratitude to everyone who contributed. It was inspiring to see how quickly the device began positively impacting care, especially given its unique use across Europe.” Johnny Abraham, managing director of J9 Advisory

The new equipment allows mobile monitoring of vital sign measurements in babies from the bedside before, during and after an MRI scan. The monitoring equipment is completely MRI safe with no need to disturb the baby if it’s sleeping (and risking the success of the MRI scan) to change monitoring equipment.

Since its installation in 2021, the system has significantly improved the ability to perform heart MRI scans on newborns without requiring general anaesthesia. Leeds Children’s Hospital is the first facility in Europe to implement this pioneering approach to heart imaging in infants, setting a precedent for other pediatric units to follow.

“We are incredibly grateful to Johnny, J9 Advisory, and their business network, as well as Probo Medical for providing this vital monitor. The seamless monitoring capability of the IRadimed Patient Monitor is helping us care for even the most fragile of our babies without unnecessary disruptions. This revolutionary process is allowing us to reimagine care for newborns with congenital heart disease.”

“Now, all babies can undergo an MRI Baby Incubator scan instead of a CT scan, which uses radiation and often misses key information about blood flow.”  Dr Malenka Bissell from the Leeds Congenital Heart Unit

At Probo Medical, we understand the critical challenges hospitals face and remain committed to supporting the healthcare industry by offering affordable, high quality and tailored solutions. To learn more about how Probo Medical can support your medical imaging needs, contact us today: probomedical.co.uk.

Images and quotes used from: chsf.org.uk/new-mri-monitor-j9-advisory.

Picture: Johnny Abraham and Dr Malenka Bissell

This news story has been sponsored by the companies concerned and does not represent the views or opinions of RAD Magazine.