Participants in CTEC’s microsurgical workshops now have the considerable advantage of honing their skills utilising cutting edge Leica Microsystems M320 surgical microscopes.
A recent collaboration between CTEC and Leica has supplied CTEC’s surgical lab with 10 M320 training microscopes. This partnership is the first of its kind in the Australia and New Zealand region.
CTEC Program Manager Maggie Cowie said the new M320 microscopes replaced aging systems and would provide many CTEC workshop participants with the highest quality optics and a clear, bright and highly realistic visualisation of their surgical field.
“A major benefit of this technology is its bright LED illumination which will enhance precision and hand-to-eye coordination in suturing and surgical procedures including dissection and anastomosis," she said.
“One of our units is a demonstration microscope for teaching purposes. This microscope features a 4K camera that allows our faculty to share their microscopic view on a large teaching screen in extremely high resolution with clear anatomical detail.”
Ms Cowie said the collaboration with Leica testified to Leica’s commitment to the advancement surgical education in the Australia and New Zealand region, a view supported by Leica Microsystems ANZ Marketing Manager Ms Natasha Botnivik.
“Leica Microsystems has a long history of strong collaboration with leading educational institutions in Europe, including the Swiss Foundation for Innovation and Training in Surgery (SFITS) Academy in Geneva and Micros in Milan. These partnerships are designed to enhance surgical training and foster innovation in medical technology,” said Ms Botnivik
“At SFITS, Leica provides cutting-edge microscopy systems that are integral to the academy's hands-on training programs. These systems help surgical trainees develop precision and expertise in microsurgical techniques, enhancing the quality of surgical education.
“These collaborations demonstrate Leica's commitment to supporting medical education through advanced technological solutions. And now, Leica Microsystems is both excited and humbled to partner with the Clinical Training and Evaluation Centre (CTEC) in Western Australia, the first collaboration of its kind in Australia and New Zealand region.”
Ms Cowie said microsurgical participants on key CTEC Core Skills workshops would gain valuable hands-on skills while utilising the scopes.
“The technology would also be available for CTEC’s venue hire training workshops in diverse areas such as ENT and temporal bone surgery, dentistry and audiology,” she said.
These future workshops would represent Leica Microsystems’ first involvement in Australian surgical training utilising whole body donors.
“These microscopes are now commonly utilised across the Australian health system and resemble or replicate what our participants will be using in their clinics. Leica’s generosity means our participants will gain a better familiarisation with technology similar to that encountered in the clinical space. Our new microscopes also provide a stepping stone to the microscopes used in a live operating theatre.”
Ms Cowie said further advantages include the ergonomic benefits of the M320, not only for participants learning a healthy working posture as they train with CTEC, but also for the health and safety of technicians working in the CTEC laboratory.
“The units are on wheeled stands and therefore easy for our staff to transport and set up. The sleek, jointless design means cleaning is easy and the microscopes’ antimicrobial coating supports CTEC’s stringent hygiene protocols.”
The Leica Microsystems microscopes will debut at CTEC’s March 2025 Core Skills: Microsurgical Skills and Anastomotic Techniques workshop for trainees in neurosurgery, ENT, plastic surgery and orthopaedic surgery.