One of the largest challenges facing both the efficiency and efficacy of surgical procedures is the need for diagnostic surgeries and preliminary imaging. Exploratory surgery has some inherent risk, necessitates placing the patient under anesthesia, and can require a period of recovery time, thus increasing the possibility of adverse side effects and other complications before the start of treatment. Moreover, many modern-day hospitals currently have separate wings for radiology and surgery, an organization that disallows for the combination of diagnosis and treatment and reduces both spatial and temporal efficiency. The hybrid surgical center model was thus created in response to these problems, and has since been rapidly incorporated into hospitals throughout the United States.
The hybrid surgical center, also known as a hybrid “suite”, is a space dedicated to the integration of advanced interventional techniques and sophisticated imaging methods. The ideal hybrid surgical center requires a clear area of about 600 to 1500 feet, significantly larger than the typical operating room. The additional space allows for the inclusion of large machines, particularly devices for intraoperative high-resolution imaging, as well as typical surgical equipment. Surgeons are thus able to have access to imagery taken in real time throughout the operation, a practice which leads to more efficient procedures.
Research has suggested that the hybrid surgical model can also lead to safer, more cost-effective procedures by improving pre-operative diagnostics for emergencies, eradicating redundancies in patient diagnosis, and reducing the need for follow-up scans.1 The elimination of multiple rounds of general anesthesia is particularly advantageous for patients in younger and older age categories, who are most susceptible to the adverse effects of sedation. It has been noted that the hybrid concept has also reduced the overall invasiveness of a number of cardiology surgeries.[1]
Though hybrid surgical centers have been used for minimally invasive vascular surgeries, their highly adaptable capacities are additionally useful for complex orthopedic, neurosurgical, thoracic, and trauma cases. Often times, hybrid surgical centers can have a flexible layout and thus can be shared by multiple disciplines.[2]
One significant factor that has barred the widespread adaptation of the hybrid surgical center model is cost. Depending on equipment brand and specifications, a hybrid surgical center may take between 1.2 and 5 million USD to install. Furthermore, the cost of maintenance is approximately 90 percent more than the typical cardiac catheterization lab.[3] However, multiple studies have shown that institutions that choose to implement the hybrid surgical model have a large return on their investment: the Cleveland Clinic Foundation, for example, showed that the total cost of installation was covered within two years and three months.[4]
Given its financial, spatial, and temporal efficiency, it may be anticipated that the hybrid surgical center model will continue to be incorporated within healthcare institutions in the U.S. to improve standard of patient care as well as surgical outcomes.
References
[1] Muehle, A. (2015). Clinical Advances With Hybrid Surgical Technologies. American College of Cardiology.
[2] Tomaszewski, R. (2008). Planning a Better Operating Room Suite: Design and Implementation Strategies for Success. Perioperative Nursing Clinics, Vol.3, No.1, (March 2008), pp. 43–54, PII S1556-7931(07)00103-9
[3] Kpodonu, J. (2010). Hybrid Cardiovascular Suite: The Operating Room of the Future. Journal of Cardiac Surgery, 25(6), 704-709. doi:10.1111/j.1540-8191.2010.01111.x
[4] Cronin, G.M. & Schroyer, M. (2010). Financial aspects of building a hybrid operating suite. In: American Association for Thoracic Surgery, 90th Annual Meeting 2010, 14.06.2011, Available from http://www.aats.org/2010webcast/sessions/player.html?sid=10050227B.03
