New drill will allow Milton patients to stay close to home when surgery needed

There’s good news for Milton residents who need certain kinds of hand surgery.

Thanks to a grant from the Milton Community Fund, a new TPX drill, a vital piece of equipment used to perform hand surgeries, has been purchased for Milton District Hospital, part of Halton Healthcare.

“The TPX drill is a small, versatile, pen-like instrument, that plastic surgeons use to repair hand fractures,” said Dr. Jessica Shih, a plastic surgeon an Milton hospital.

“The hand is very complex with many tiny bones and nerves. Precision is required as the surgeon only has one opportunity to properly insert a screw due to the small bone size in the fingers. It is absolutely necessary to have this instrument available when patients come to the emergency department with hand injuries.”

Having their own drill means patients will have better access to hand-related surgeries in a more timely manner and closer to home.

“We are seeing a higher volume of hand-related surgeries performed at Milton hospital as our community continues to expand,” said Dan Dimacuha, patient care manager of Surgical Services of MDH.

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“Until now, our hospital did not have its own TPX drill and was sharing one with Oakville Trafalgar Hospital.”

The Milton Community Fund was established in 2001 to distribute a portion of the funds that the Town of Milton receives from the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation’s Elements Casino at Mohawk.

The hospital applied to the fund last year and received more than $31,000 toward the purchase of a dedicated TPX drill for Milton District Hospital.

“We are always grateful for the funding provided by the Milton Community Fund. The many grants we have received from this fund provide us with numerous pieces of vital medical equipment to support our hospital in meeting the growing needs of the Milton community,” said Monica Bettazzoni, interim COO, Milton District Hospital and Georgetown Hospital.

“This year’s grant will allow us to grow the plastic surgery program at MDH in order to offer enhanced services, closer to home and within an appropriate timeframe.”