KALAMAZOO, MI – Borgess Medical Center will offer two of the most advanced “hybrid” endovascular surgical suites in the world. In these suites, patients will have access to complex, minimally invasive endovascular procedures, as well as traditional surgery options.
Some conditions that will be treated in the new Borgess Endovascular Suites are abdominal aneurysms, peripheral vascular disease and thoracic aortic aneurysms.
“We are providing more minimally invasive endovascular surgical options every year,” said Debra Thompson, Administrative Director, Borgess Surgical Services. “While such procedures reduce costs and hospitalization, they are also increasingly complex and technically demanding. During such procedures, surgeons must have flexible imaging systems to provide precise visualization of small vessels, stents, catheters and guide wires.
“Our new endovascular surgical suites offer these imaging requirements to our vascular surgeons,” Thompson said. “The new rooms also allow ‘open’ surgeries to be conducted with the same patients.
Called “hybrid operating rooms,” the surgical suites are integrated with an advanced x-ray imaging system. Borgess Medical Center is one of the first hospitals in America to utilize the FlexMove system by Philips Electronics.
“Having the ability to perform imaging studies in the same room eliminates the need to move patients during a procedure,
reducing the risk of infection,” Thompson said. “We have operating rooms of the future, today at Borgess Medical Center.”
The two 1,000-square-foot endovascular surgical suites and control station required the redesigning of existing space and installing new equipment at a cost of $4 million. A committee of Borgess vascular surgeons, nurses and administrators worked together to develop the new hybrid operating rooms.
“We reviewed many new options,” said Carol Dean, RN, Vascular Specialty Charge Nurse. “Our examination included visiting the Cleveland Clinic and other vascular centers of excellence.
“I appreciated this opportunity to engage with others and share my years of vascular surgical room experience,” Dean said. “We chose a system where the imaging device moves on ceiling rails. It doesn’t touch the floor and can be moved to the side when not needed. This flexibility creates more space and allows easier, better cleaning. These are advantages that professionals who work in operating rooms truly understand.”
