Exercise bike test for major op patients

Patients undergoing major surgery at Stafford Hospital are having their fitness levels tested on exercise bikes in a bid to reduce mortality rates.

The new service recognises at-risk patients earlier, reducing any danger before they go under the knife.

It is also being used to diagnose specific heart or lung conditions and to assess the rehabilitation of patients recovering from major illnesses.

Around six people a week are now being referred for the test at Stafford.

Jackie Swindells, lead respiratory physiologist at the hospital trust, said the new test did not replace existing pre-assessment processes but bolstered them.

She said patients' results were being passed on to surgeons and anaesthetists so they could be even more prepared for operations.

"It gives an objective measurement of the patient's fitness which can be used to determine individual risk of surgery," she said.

"This allows the patient to make an informed decision before agreeing to surgery.

"Pre-operative cardiopulmonary exercise testing does not replace the existing pre-assessment process but is an additional test which can be used to guide the pre-assessment team and anaesthetist."

The new service at Stafford is the result of a joint venture between the Lung Function Laboratory and experts at the anaesthetic department at Mid-Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust.

The test – officially called pre-operative cardio-pulmonary exercise testing – involves patients cycling on a stationary bicycle while the performance of their heart and lungs are assessed and recorded.

Many hospitals in the UK provide a similar service as part of the routine assessment of patients undergoing major surgery such as joint replacements, colorectal surgery and aortic aneurysm repair.

Andy Pritchard, specialist respiratory physiologist at the trust, said: "This test can make a real difference to patients, and we are pleased to be able to offer it."

The new initiative on patients' fitness follows on from the introduction of a camera pill at Stafford Hospital.

The camera inside is capable of taking thousands of pictures inside patients in a bid to help doctors make a speedier diagnosis. Conditions it can be used to diagnose include Crohn's disease.

It was introduced after £90,000 worth of funding from the Stafford & Cannock League of Hospital Friends.