Mandela Day transforms lives with medical collaboration

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“By working together, we aimed to uphold the legacy of Mandela through actions that embody care, support, and compassion for those who need it most. We take immense pride in being a part of such meaningful initiatives that have a lasting positive impact on our community,” a spokesperson for the Group said.

Paarl Provincial Hospital identified eight patients that were suitable and in desperate need of tonsillectomy and adenoid procedures. Smith and Nephew sponsored the coblation Wand, minimally invasive, low thermal technology used for effective dissection and removal of tissue.

The advantages of coblation technology

Coblation technology has been used for ear, nose and throat (ENT) procedures such as tonsillectomies, turbinate reductions, laryngeal lesion debulkings and for surgery on soft palates. While conventional electrosurgical devices use high temperatures to remove and cut tissue, coblation technology creates a controlled, stable plasma field to precisely remove tissue at a low relative temperature, resulting in minimal thermal damage to surrounding soft tissues.

The use of a coblation wand is not known to all ENT specialists and therefore Cure Paarl and Smith and Nephew invited medical professionals to attend the procedures for educational purposes.

Doctors Grobbelaar and Naude performed the operations. They have a wealth of experience. Grobbelaar is the head of the ENT department at Stellenbosch University and Tygerberg Hospital and Naude is the senior otorhinolaryngologist for UCT at the Red Cross Children's hospital.

“We would like to thank Smith and Nephew, doctors Grobbelaar, Naude and West, Safeline, Paarl Provincial hospitals, the anaesthetist, and the Cure Paarl nursing staff for their contributions and time, which made this project a success.”