By Healthcare Facilities Today

Hybrid operating rooms are allowing surgeons to diagnose and pinpoint problems while patients are on the table, but initially designation valuable OR space to such a new endeavor required a leap of faith for the University of Colorado School of Medicine, according to an article in Healthcare Design magazine.

Two major factors eventually drove the Aurora' Colo. hospital's decision to proceed, according to the article: FDA approval of a transaortic valve replacement procedure and the hybrid OR’s potential for improved patient care. Once funding for the project was committed in 2010, UCH began working with architectural and engineering firm Leo A Daly to design a hybrid OR within the prebuilt space.  

The planning effort was dependent on  the willingness of doctors, nurses, administrators, technicians, and designers “to get together to decide what the room needed.  “We set the expectation that no matter what your area of expertise or your level of responsibility, you attended meetings and you had a voice. And it worked. But it would not have worked without that kind of collaboration,” said OR nurse manager Suzanne Sortman.

The next challenge was choosing equipment that functioned ideally for everyone. Once equipment was chosen that was flexible enough to accommodate the variety of procedures, the designers tacked the layout.

Read the article and view the photo gallery.