Monroe, LA - St. Francis Medical Center is proud to announce the opening of its newly constructed hybrid operating room (OR). The hybrid OR, which is about twice as large as traditional ORs, features the most innovative technology and imaging capabilities available in Northeast Louisiana.
The construction of this hybrid OR suite, as well as a new traditional surgical suite, represents an investment of over $3 million dollars and is part of St. Francis Forward, an $80 million, four-year capital campaign intended to revitalize St. Francis Medical Center and its surrounding community.
The decision to invest in a hybrid OR as part of the hospital’s suite of cardiovascular services was based on improving patient outcomes and the quality of care. Patients benefit from shorter wait times, increased safety measures, and advanced imaging capabilities. When necessary, surgeons can rapidly switch between minor and complex cases, completing multiple surgeries on a single patient with multiple surgeons in the same procedure and room.
“After two years of planning and construction, we are excited to open this advanced operating suite that will improve patient care and outcomes,” said Kristin Wolkart, president of St. Francis Medical Center. “Made possible by the collaboration of physicians and our surgical staff, this new operating room is just one example of our commitment to providing innovative technology for our patients, as well as continued investment in our community.”
While traditional ORs are typically smaller and outfitted for one specific procedure, hybrid ORs are specially designed and equipped to make surgeries safer and easier for patients and the surgical team.
Advantages of a hybrid OR include:
- Having advanced imaging equipment available during surgery allows for faster, more precise placement of surgical tools and implants.
- Surgeries generally proceed more quickly because everything the surgeon needs is right in the room. There’s no need to move to another location for additional procedures or imaging.
- The newest technologies require less radiation and less contrast material — the dye that is needed to give doctors a better view of tissues. This means greater safety for patients.
- Results for patients may be enhanced due to the shorter surgical times, smaller incisions needed for minimally invasive procedures and the greater imaging accuracy.
- If surgeons determine that other procedures, including traditional open surgery, are needed for an individual patient, the open surgery can be done safely and immediately in the same room.
St. Francis Medical Center’s new hybrid OR will be predominantly used for cardiac and vascular procedures including these minimally invasive procedures:
- Percutaneous (through the skin) valve replacements or repairs such as transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) that are done instead of open heart surgery
- Cardiac catheterization and coronary interventions for high-risk patients
- Endovascular procedures (using a catheter inserted through the skin to diagnose and treat vascular disease), such as:
- Endovascular repair of aortic aneurysms in the abdomen or chest (EVAR, TEVAR)
- Endovascular repair of aortic dissections
- Stent graft implantations
- Endovascular treatment of peripheral artery disease (PAD) with angioplasty and stenting
- Embolization of visceral artery aneurysms and vascular malformations
- Hybrid (part open and part endovascular) intervention to treat complex vascular problems
The hybrid OR staff includes a multidisciplinary team of highly trained and experienced specialists, including surgeons, interventionalists, nurses, anesthesiologists and technologists.