Surgical Tables: More Than the Surface on Which the Patient Is Placed

The right mix of tables in your ORs increases comfort and safety for patients and surgeons, and can even reduce turnover times.

Surgical tables have come a long way, and the advances afford HOPDs and ASCs the variety to make the right combination of choices for their facilities.

Many tables are outfitted with attachments that are primarily designed for patient comfort and safety, surgeon ergonomics, ease of use, ease of setup and overall operating room efficiency in terms of room turnover. The best of these products are user-friendly for the surgeon and the OR staff.

Multiple attachments are available and they vary greatly. Tables for orthopedics and bariatrics obviously have many more accessories than those designed for minimally invasive surgeries. For example, extenders are needed on the sides of the table for the hands of bariatric patients. In orthopedics or spinal, the attachments also may need to be radiolucent for imaging purposes. Not all attachments come that way, but they need to at least be somewhat radiolucent for taking images at the angles the surgeon needs. This is particularly important for spinal procedures because the patients are twisted during surgeries and the table must be capable of being adjusted at a perfect angle for the visual needs of the surgeon.

Beyond clinical considerations

Inpatient and outpatient ORs are the highest revenue-generating spaces within any organization or practice, and every facility is seeking to add more cases wherever possible. Having attachments that feature modularity, flexibility and potential for multiple uses over several procedures is critical for faster turnover. Whether they’re manual or electrically powered, all tables should have attachments that are fast and easy to attach and detach. The more intuitive the attachments are, the quicker the procedures can be performed, the faster the rooms can be turned over, and the more numerous will be the cases.

Second only to the need for providing patient safety and comfort, attachments must help each case go as smoothly and efficiently as possible. Not only are shorter surgeries better for patients, but they also enable surgeons to complete more surgeries within the timeframe of their shift. Having attachments that add flexibility to how bariatric, orthopedic or general surgery cases are managed provides the ability to have shorter case times and less time between cases.

Cleanability also is important; attachments must be easy to wipe down. Too many nooks or crannies can make cleaning time-consuming, leading to longer room turnovers, the opposite of the desired outcome for the initial investments in table accessories.

Increasing the focus of the surgery

RIGHT ANGLE The best specialty spine tables allow surgeons to approach delicate and potentially dangerous procedures from just the right points of approach.

Attachments don’t just improve comfort; they allow surgeons to access the operative site at the most accurate angle. The table itself must also adjust to accommodate each surgeon’s height and technique, as one wrong nip and tuck during spine surgery could potentially paralyze a patient. Whether it’s a Jackson table for spinal cases, a HANA table for orthopedic surgeries or another type of table, a wide array of attachments are available to achieve the best angle or the best granularity for the surgeon.

Each surgeon also has their own preferences for how they want their table to be set up, which is why physicians always need to be involved in the pre-purchase selection process. Materials personnel should never make a unilateral, random choice when it comes to surgical tables. The surgery director should involve the surgeons and other OR team members — the people who are “on the ground,” so to speak — as they can provide expert insight to inform the decision-making process on such things as ergonomics and patient needs. Their involvement will ultimately make the surgeries they’re involved with smoother, faster and better.

Caseloads and case mix determine table needs

While multi-use is an excellent feature for many medical devices, a multi-use table is rarely an option. Think of it this way: If you’re a Formula 1 driver, you can’t show up to the track in a Volkswagen Beetle. You need the right car for the right conditions.

Similarly, each specialty requires the right table for the job. Many surgeons, for instance, have strong preferences when it comes to robotic procedures. Be sure to invest in those tables as well as others designed for other specialties. Your volume will dictate whether you need one, two or five Jackson tables, HANA tables or other specialty tables.

In the end, the goal is to give your surgeons and OR teams the tools they need to succeed. The right tables and attachments provide the right platform for great outcomes — for your facility, your staff and, most importantly, your patients. OSM