A state of the art microscope has just landed at Maidstone Hospital, part of Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust (MTW), allowing clinical teams to undertake complex ear surgery and enabling patients to go home the same day.

Patients who require middle ear surgery, such as those suffering with hearing loss or requiring eardrum repairs, can now undergo procedures at Maidstone Hospital. Previously patients would need to be transferred to Tunbridge Wells Hospital to access specialist equipment – this new state of the art technology allows surgery closer to home for many patients. 

The new microscope will not only allow patients to go home on the same day but will expand Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) surgical capacity at the Trust. As a result, this will also help reduce waiting times and enable MTW to continue to provide the best care possible to each and every patient.

The new equipment – a TIVATO 700 from ZEISS – delivers excellent image clarity in 4K for every procedure. The sleek and clever design consists of two sets of eye pieces on each side of the microscope and a high-quality screen. This creates a perfect tool for teaching and learning for students in the operating room and supports the development of clinical skills within our specialist teams.

Iain McKay-Davies, Consultant ENT Surgeon for Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust, said: ” We are delighted to be able to start using the new Zeiss microscope that will allow us to deliver high quality major ear surgery to those patients living in the Maidstone area.

“It will also support the training needs of future surgeons and theatre staff at the Trust.”

Pictured Georgina White Lead Theatre Practitioner (Shot Stay Surgical Unit & Urology) (left) and Iain McKay-Davies, Consultant ENT Surgeon (right) with the Tivato Microscope.