Hospital Opens Three New Operating Rooms

Boone Hospital Center opened three new cardiovascular operating rooms, including a hybrid room equipped with an advanced medical imaging device that allows diagnostic imaging during complex surgical procedures. 

The new operating rooms have features designed for improved workflow and patient safety during surgeries. Equipment traditionally kept on the operating room floor has been integrated into ceiling-mounted booms, smart cabinets use radio frequency ID (RFID) tags to detect when items are removed and notify supplier so that they can be replaced, LED smart surgical lights are used to reduce shadows and adjust automatically to provide greater visual contrast and special air diffusers in each room create an invisible, sterile column of air around the patient and caregivers to reduce the risk of airborne infection. 

The hybrid operating room also includes a GE Discovery IGS 730 mobile C-arm angiography system – the only one of its kind in Mid-Missouri. With the C-arm, the surgical team doesn’t have to rely on pre-operative images. The C-arm can also be positioned to give physicians, nurses and technicians space to work together effectively. 

The new technology allows cardiovascular surgeons to perform complex procedures requiring precise guidance and positioning, such as transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR), a minimally-invasive procedure in which the surgeon replaces a patient’s malfunctioning heart valve without removing the old one. The hybrid operating room can also be used for surgeries for complex aneurysms in the abdomen, chest and kidneys, as well as traditional open heart and vascular surgery using X-ray guidance.

Joss Fernandez, MD, a cardiothoracic and vascular surgeon with the Missouri Heart Center, performed the first TAVR at Boone Hospital Center. 

“Boone is very good at going after technology early but without compromising quality,” he says. “It’s elevated the entire program. It has taken the cardiothoracic program to another tier. We’ve rallied teams that didn’t exist before.”

Dr. Fernandez adds, “This is a gem. We’re very proud.”