The Ritz Carlton of Spine

When it was time to expand our spine practice to meet an increase in case volume, we wanted to build a surgical facility where surgeons could perform innovative outpatient care. Our new 12,000-square-foot, two-OR surgery center has the look and feel of a 5-star hotel, but behind the beautiful fa??ade lies the framework of a technologically advanced facility designed to deliver state-of-the-art spinal care. OSM

We were fortunate to take over the empty shell of a former bank with 30-foot ceilings, floor-to-ceiling windows in the patient waiting room and windows that ring the top of the hallway in the central core. The entire facility feels bright and airy, and is filled with tons of natural light.

Each of the center's two ORs is 1,000 square feet, large enough for the staff and equipment needed to perform complex spine cases. The facility's HVAC unit is a sealed system that covers the entire ASC. Every air exchange goes through pre- and post-HEPA filters and is treated with ultraviolet light. The advanced system was a significant expense that goes unseen, but it has contributed to our zero infection rate.

Patients are admitted to private rooms outfitted with monitoring equipment, a hospital-grade bed with an extra thick mattress and a recliner where recovering patients can sit upright to recuperate. Although most patients are discharged three to six hours after surgery, we included a chair that folds out into a bed in case a family member wants to stay with a recovering patient who needs to spend the night.

Each OR features a large, wall-mounted flat screen monitor that displays what surgeons are viewing through the surgical microscope, so surgical techs can follow along and prepare instruments for the case's next step. A pair of smaller flat screen monitors hang on booms around the surgical table; one is positioned over the right shoulder of the surgical tech and the other at the foot of the bed. The monitors display pre-op MRI images or intraoperative C-arm pictures, letting surgeons check the images without leaving the bedside. Anesthesia providers also have access to a small monitor near their workstation that displays what the surgeon sees in the microscope, letting them titrate medications based on the progress of the case.

Radiation techs have plenty of room to maneuver C-arms toward and away from the surgical bed. The ORs have dedicated electrical outlets for powering the C-arms and dedicated video integration cables wired into the wall through which captured images are automatically downloaded into the facility's PACs system.

Staff remove dirty instruments through doors in the back of the ORs and deliver them to the decontamination area, which is just 10 feet away. Loaner instrument trays and implants are delivered directly to sterile processing through a back corridor so reprocessing techs can check in and check out instrument sets in an easy, organized way. The facility also boasts a dedicated storage room for housing the numerous patient positioning devices, such as a Jackson Table, needed during spine procedures.