Hospital Gets Latest Surgery Suite
BIDMC Contact: M. Pantridge
Phone: 781-453-3891
Email: mpantridge@bidneedham.org
Patients at Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital-Needham can now undergo surgery in a new, technologically advanced minimally invasive surgery operating suite right in their own community.
This $800,000 suite is one of the most advanced surgical suites in the Boston area. Its high-tech imaging equipment allows surgeons to improve patient care and expedite operating room times. It also gives patients the option of having certain surgeries near home so they don't have to travel to Boston to receive leading-edge care.
Recently Vivian Sanchez, M.D., a general surgeon who specializes in minimally invasive surgery and splits her time between BID-Needham and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, successfully performed the first laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair in the hospital's newly equipped Operating Room 1.
"This state-of-the art MIS suite allows us to do a broader range of surgery in Needham," said Sanchez, who spearheaded acquisition of the new technology. She added that it is a goal of BIDMC and BID-Needham to be able to perform more surgical cases in Needham.
Sanchez said she was astounded by the quality of the images the suite projects on a screen above the operating table - images that show what's happening inside the patient's body in procedures such as colon resections, gall bladder removal and arthroscopic joint replacement.
"It's one of the many revolutionary changes that have taken place here since we joined Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in 2002," said Jeffrey H. Liebman, president and chief executive officer of BID-Needham. "The MIS suite is an important part of our strategy of providing leading edge care close to Dedham, Dover, Medfield, Needham, Newton, Westwood, Wellesley and surrounding towns."
The technology is a fully integrated operating room suite from Stryker, a market-leading company that made its reputation during the MIS revolution by supplying top-quality medical video equipment. The suite has the capability of linking to Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and other institutions across the country so surgeons can consult with colleagues at the flip of a switch.
The new technology is as exciting for surgical nurses and as it is for the surgeons, according to Patricia Masi, RN, who has been a force in the BID-Needham Operating Room for more than 20 years. "We're very excited about using this new technology because it ties us in more with BIDMC. It's really key because in emergencies, you can instantly get expert second opinions, even in the middle of the night."
The suite consists of ceiling-mounted booms fitted with lights, video cameras and high-definition display panels; a system for routing digital signals that control multiple functions throughout the operating room; a voice-activated system for controlling surgical equipment such as cameras, lights and pumps; and a digital system that documents surgery by converting video images into DVDs. The full integration feature provides the surgical team with rich, real-time information about the patient by sending images to conveniently located monitors.
Liebman noted that the quality of the hospital's surgical equipment is now on a par with the skills of the Harvard Medical Faculty Physicians from BIDMC who practice at BID-Needham. "We thank Dr. Sanchez and Dr. Chris Boyd, our assistant chief of surgery, and Dr. Michael Corbett, our chief of surgery, for their leadership of this project."
Liebman also thanked Christoph and Susan Hoffmann, Needham residents who made a financial contribution to the project. Christoph Hoffmann recently stepped down as chairman of the BID-Needham trustees.
The new equipment, which will be used by general and orthopedic surgeons, gynecologists and urologists, has many additional benefits:
Quicker turnaround times for surgery due to ease of preparing rooms, positioning patients and controlling voice-activated devices
Greater focus on patient care for nurses, who can operate equipment from a central computerized control panel
Vastly superior visibility for the entire Operating Room team due to high-definition images and the positioning of screens above the operating table