New Endovascular Surgery Suite Unveiled at O’Connor Hospital
Spring of 2007 marked the opening of a long-awaited new endovascular surgery suite in the O’Connor Hospital operating room that offers integrated diagnostic, surgical and radiological capabilities. This state-of-the-art suite will help accommodate the expansion from the full spectrum of conventional surgery to more widely used minimally invasive methods, known as endovascular surgery.
Development of the $4.5 million project began more than three years ago and stemmed from the hospital's stent-graft program to treat aortic aneurysms. "The traditional operating room is designed for conventional surgery, and because the procedure was guided by X-ray imaging, portable radiography equipment had to be wheeled in and out," said Vascular Surgeon Peter Schubart, MD. “O’Connor wanted a facility that would utilize the latest technologies to increase efficiency and provide optimum treatment to better serve our patients." Specialized physicians, such as Dr. Schubart, see patients with a variety of vascular problems that include poor circulation from blockages or narrowing of arteries and other conditions that lead to strokes and aneurysms.
O’Connor Hospital has one of the top programs in the western United States for treating people with peripheral vascular disease, which affects 8 to 12 million Americans. The hospital was recognized by Money Magazine as one of the top five hospitals in the western United States for patients in need of peripheral vascular interventional procedures such as angioplasty and other interventions. Drs. Peter Schubart, Roger Hayashi, and David Chang were listed as top doctors for these procedures. O’Connor Hospital vascular surgeons have been instrumental in developing aortic aneurysm stent-graft technology, making O’Connor one of the first hospitals in the country to offer this advanced and innovative procedure.
The new suite, which has a separate control room for X-ray and other imaging capabilities, allows surgical staff to perform a wide array of procedures including angiography, balloon angioplasty and stenting, and atherectomy or laser angioplasty procedures. Other physicians utilizing the new suite include interventional cardiologists and interventional radiologists.
“This addition builds on our outstanding foundation of patient care, and because the advanced X-ray system is part of the endovascular suite, patients requiring more invasive surgeries can be treated immediately,” said Gayle Fox, director of surgical services at O’Connor Hospital. “The process for patients who require immediate invasive surgery is streamlined because everything can happen in the same operating room, thus enhancing quality and patient safety.”
Developed by Siemens Medical Solutions – one of the largest providers of medical technology in the world – the AXIOM system is specially designed to combine the lowest possible radiation dose with unprecedented imaging capabilities, allowing the physician to easily capture images from almost any angle. A further benefit of the new system is its connectivity capabilities which allows information captured during procedures to quickly and easily be shared throughout the hospital system and with patients. Better information flow and better images lead to faster, more accurate diagnosis and higher quality of care for patients.
Vascular disease refers to diseases of blood vessels. Peripheral artery disease (PAD), for example, is a condition similar to coronary artery disease and carotid artery disease. As many as 8-12 million Americans have peripheral arterial disease -- nearly 75 percent of these do not have any symptoms. “People with PAD suffer from hardening of the arteries or atherosclerosis, ” said Dr. Schubart. “Because of this association, most people with PAD have a higher risk of death from heart attack and stroke, but can be treated with lifestyle changes, medications or both. In a minority of patients, lifestyle modifications alone aren't sufficient. In these cases, angioplasty or surgery may be necessary.”
The new endovascular suite is the latest in a string of new technologies recently installed at O’Connor. The hospital opened a state-of-the-art MRI suite in November, 2006 and earlier this month began using a sophisticated surgical navigation system for their orthopedics program, in addition to opening its newly expanded Wound Care Clinic in October, 2006 which can often serve as adjunct therapy for patients utilizing the new Endovascular suite. Coming this spring will be a 64-slice CT scanner and final CCS certification for an already state-recognized Level III NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit).