Surgeons perform over 10 million surgeries every year. With so many patients and medical staff coming through hospitals every day, operating rooms need designs with efficiency in mind.
New advancements in operating equipment mean operating rooms have to be easy to update when new equipment arrives. Also, hospitals themselves need to be open to new medical advancements in technology and surgery.
With the right layout and equipment, hospitals can give patients the best care possible.
Utilize good operating room design and advancements in operating equipment technology to make surgery safer and more efficient.
Operating Theater Design
Redesigning an operating theater is a big undertaking, and there are a lot of factors to consider. First, you want to consider how your hospital staff uses your current operating space. Is there unused space or not enough space?
Once you decide on what your operating room needs are, you can begin with the new design.
Operating Room Size
Depending on their purpose, operating rooms range in size from 400 sq ft to 800 sq ft. Consider how you want to use the room, the amount of equipment and people it needs to hold, and how much space your hospital can spare.
To give you an idea of how much space you may need, here are the averages for each kind of operating room:
- Small operating room – 400 sq ft
- Standard operating room – 500 sq ft
- Orthopedic operating room – 600 sq ft
- Cardiac operating room – 600 sq ft
- Neurological operating room – 600 sq ft
- Hybrid operating room – 650 sq ft
- Transplant operating room – 800 sq ft
With operating room staff, surgeon, patient, anesthesiologist, and operating equipment all in one room, things can get crowded pretty fast. That’s why a streamlined operating room layout is essential.
Orientation and Layout
The operating room layout depends on the daily procedures taking place there. Most operating rooms need space for patient transport, equipment set up, and using a mobile c-arm during procedures.
Another factor to consider is new equipment that may come in. You need to be in tune with the future of surgery technology and have enough versatility for bringing in new procedures.
When it comes to operating room orientation, the patient is central. Situate everything else around the patient for the most streamlined access that doesn’t hinder the procedure.
Space Saving Solutions
In small hospitals with less floor space, hospitals can’t sacrifice equipment or people. So, they use certain space-saving solutions to maintain the same level of efficiency as larger operating rooms.
Ceiling mounted booms make it so limited floor space doesn’t matter in an operating room. Some hospitals choose to mount surgical lighting, endoscopy towers, anesthesia systems, medical gas systems, and more.
Surgical Operating Equipment
The most important aspect of an operating room (other than the surgeon) is the equipment. Having up-to-date equipment decreases the time patients spend in an operating room, make better outcomes, and raises the value of your hospital.
Having modern operating equipment also attracts more experienced surgeons and concerned patients.
Common Instruments
There are certain medical instruments and equipment that every operating room has to have. Non-technical medical instruments include forceps, retractors, scalpels, clamps, suctions, and punches.
Other than typical surgical instruments, operating rooms need patient monitoring systems and anesthesia systems. Patient monitoring systems track a patient’s blood pressure, heart rate, temperature, and other essential data.
How Much Space Does Operating Room Equipment Take Up?
Operating rooms average 600 sq ft and can have over five people (not including the patient) in a room at a time. On top of that, operating equipment can also take up a lot of space in the room.
- Anesthesia system – 7 sq ft
- Anesthesia cart – 10-14 sq ft
- Robotic surgery machine – 10 sq ft
- Robotic surgery con troll console – 12 sq ft
When you’re planning out an operating room, make sure to map out how much space you have and where the equipment will go.
Operating Room Control Panels
Control panels elevate modern operating equipment technology. With control panels, hospital staff can monitor equipment like anesthesia systems and always ensure they’re working properly.
Control panels make for even better patient outcomes. They act as a fail-safe for calculating patient oxygen intake and dosing the anesthesia agent.
Faster Trouble Shooting
When operating equipment goes down, it can delay operations by hours or even days, which throws everyone’s schedule off and potentially puts patients at risk.
With a control panel, technicians can easily log on and determine what the problem is and either fix it right then or order repairs. In the past, hospitals would have to wait for technicians to physically come to the hospital.
But now, technicians can fix minor issues remotely. So operating machines experience less downtime and hospitals get more value out of the machine’s use.
Improved Efficiency
Many operating room control panels also include maintenance reminders for your equipment. This assists in following the recommended maintenance schedule by replacing certain parts before they cause the machine to go down for a longer period.
When hospitals know that their machinery is kept up with, they can more easily rely on them to function properly for the operations they’re scheduled for.
This creates less scheduling stress and fewer occurrences of having to call patients and reschedule their operations.
These advancements within the operating equipment industry create huge opportunities for hospitals to improve their efficiency and ease the stress of surgery on patients and hospital staff.
Medical Industry-Leading Technology
Infinium Medical has supplied the medical industry with top-of-the-line medical equipment since 1991.
We have a vast supply of anesthesia systems, medical lighting, patient monitors, surgical tables, and operating room equipment.
Contact us to learn more about how we can help you find the right operating equipment for your operating room space.
