Archives for July 2022

Professor Heald receives Swedish honour

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Professor Bill Heald was bestowed the honour of ‘Commander of the Royal Order of the Polar Star’ from HM King Carl XVI. The Order of the Polar Star was established in 1748 by King Frederik I of Sweden, and has been bestowed on foreign nationals since 1975. The award recognises Bill’s meritorious and pioneering surgical work and devotion to duty.

Professor Heald received the award from the Swedish Ambassador to the UK, Mikaela Kumlin Granit, at the Swedish Embassy on 29 April 2022. The Ambassador referred to Professor Heald’s tireless work with the Swedish medical community which led to improvements in the treatment of cancer, improved patient care and improved survival rates, not only in Sweden but across the world. She summarised his remarkable career, including having been a vice-President of the Royal College of Surgeons in England, as well as his development of the pioneering surgical technique, total mesorectal excision (TME), which has become the gold standard for lower rectal cancer removal. The Ambassador praised Professor Heald for promoting cooperation between Sweden and the UK with the noble aim of alleviating human suffering.

Congratulations Bill. 

 

Pelican Research continues to go from strength to strength

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Caoimhe Walsh, Surgical Registrar
March 2022

A Pelican supported research study COALS, was presented at the Upper Gastrointestinal Congress in Belfast in October 2021 by Ms Walsh, who won the UGI Congress Oral Presentation Prize for the best presentation in the Liver Free Paper Session.

Ms Walsh was delighted to go on to present the work further afield at the 15th IHPBA World Congress 2022. This conference was organised by the International Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Association and was held in New York, USA, between 30 March – 2 April 2022.

COALS was investigating coagulation in liver surgery. Its specific focus was to understand the changes in coagulation ​(blood clotting) that occur before, during and immediately after liver surgery for colorectal metastases​ (secondary bowel cancer). ​Blood loss is a major risk when operating on the liver so understanding how to reduce that risk is vital to improving patients’ survival and recovery from this type of surgery.

Presenting the studies significant findings on an international scale, is hoped to add weight to the growing field of evidence supporting a global change in practice amongst liver surgeons to improve patient ​outcomes.

Huge congratulations to everyone involved in this study.

 

Gina and Nick walk the West Highland Way

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From Gina:

Myself and Nick are going to walk the West Highland Way in July to raise money for liver cancer and problems associated with it, such as uncontrollable bleeding during/after surgery.  The walk is 96 miles in total and we will be doing it over 7 days.

Day 1 Milngavie ~ Balmaha (16 miles)
Day 2 Balmaha ~ Inverarnan (25 miles)
Day 3 Inverarnan ~ Tyndrum (12 miles)
Day 4 Tyndrum ~ Kingshouse (19 miles)
Day 5 Rest Day
Day 6 Kingshouse ~ Kinlochleven (9 miles)
Day 7 Kinlochleven ~ Fort William (15 miles)

I lost my lovely dad back in 2000 at the young age of 43.  I am now the same age that he was when he first got symptoms so I thought it was a poignant year to complete a challenge and raise lots of money in his memory.  He went through so much and so a few blisters and aches won’t do me any harm!

The money will go to our chosen charity, Pelican Cancer Foundation, the funds will be transferred once the walk is complete and I will update my page once this is done.  Our money is going towards the COALS project which is directed at secondary liver cancer and the complications with this.

Thank you so much for donating, it means a lot ♡ – https://gofund.me/35b1c640

Gina and Nick x

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