Press release
Hybrid OR set to open at VGH
Vancouver, BC – Vancouver Coastal Health is taking “hybrid” to a new level. The first hybrid operating room at Vancouver General Hospital is complete and scheduled to open in the coming weeks.
The $7.4 million VGH hybrid OR brings advanced imaging and surgical equipment into the same room. Surgeons can quickly switch gears in complex surgeries. For example, surgeons might fix a ruptured artery in the chest with a stent and deal with a traumatic abdominal injury. This “one-stop shop” for surgery will revolutionize surgical care and better support minimally invasive image-guided procedures as well as complex surgeries.
“The new hybrid operating room at Vancouver General Hospital is a perfect example of using innovation to improve surgical outcomes,” said Health Minister Terry Lake. “It puts the needs of patients first by providing the surgical team with ready access to state-of-the-art technology and all the tools they need to deliver the right care.”
The VGH hybrid OR will serve a wide variety of patients, including those with blocked arteries and veins and aortic aneurysms. Trauma patients will also benefit from the head-to-toe imaging at the surgical table, saving critical time when life is hanging in the balance. “We won’t have to transfer patients back and forth between radiology and the OR because the hybrid OR has all the right tools in the same room at the right time,” says Dr. Keith Baxter, Vascular and Endovascular Surgeon, Vancouver Coastal Health.
It’s more than just convenient. Surgeons now have a “third arm” known as a “C-arm” that can rotate around the patient, taking bigger and brighter images, including 3D images. This allows doctors to better visualize the operation. “From a patient perspective, the result is less invasive surgery, less scarring, shorter hospital stays and faster recovery time,” says Dr. Baxter. “The hybrid OR provides us with the optimal environment and technology for even better patient outcomes. It combines the features of both a traditional operating room and modern interventional radiology room.”
Features of the VGH hybrid OR
- A robotic-assisted C-arm with X-ray imaging capable of producing real-time high-definition imaging while exposing patients and staff to less radiation. Easy to manoeuvre, the C-arm enables the surgical team to work more safely, comfortably and efficiently.
- Flexible radiation shielding on ceiling-mounted booms and, for added protection, surgical teams will be equipped with new dosimeters recording radiation exposure in real time.
- Enhanced lighting and large high-definition monitors, including surgical lights and monitors on ceiling-mounted booms, for improved visualization and flexibility.
- Ceiling-mounted anesthesia and equipment booms to reduce clutter and tripping hazards. To accommodate different patient positions on the surgical table, one anesthesia boom will be installed at each end of the surgical table.
- Nursing desk facing the operating field.
- A control room for the C-arm operator with a window and clear sightline to the radiologist at the surgical table.
The VGH hybrid OR was made possible through donations to the VGH & UBC Hospital Foundation.
“We are so grateful to the inspiring donors who share our vision for transforming health care,” says Barbara Grantham, President and CEO of the VGH & UBC Hospital Foundation. “The hybrid OR is part of a longer term plan to renew specialized surgical services at both VGH and UBC Hospital which will benefit all British Columbians. Donors are playing a vital role in bringing the future of surgery to British Columbia.”
VGH & UBC Hospital Foundation is Vancouver Coastal Health’s primary philanthropic partner, raising funds for specialized adult health services and research for all British Columbians. The Foundation partners with donors to drive innovation and sustainable health care at VGH & UBC Hospital, GF Strong Rehabilitation Centre, Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute and Vancouver Community Health Services.
Vancouver Coastal Health is responsible for the delivery of $3.4 billion in community, hospital and residential care to more than one million people in communities including Richmond, Vancouver, the North Shore, Sunshine Coast, Sea to Sky corridor, Powell River, Bella Bella and Bella Coola.
CONTACT
Carrie Stefanson
Public Affairs Officer
Vancouver Coastal Health
Office: (604)708-5338
Cell: (604) 312-1148
