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November 13, 2019

Hybrid operating suite now open at Hamilton General Hospital

Every second counts. That’s a fact our surgical and trauma teams know well. The time spent moving patients between an operating room (OR) and diagnostic imaging like CT scans and X-rays could pose a additional risk.

That’s why having an OR equipped with imaging technology makes so much sense. It can literally save lives.

The new Hybrid Operating Suite will help improve outcomes for patients and allow our teams of staff and physicians to stay on the leading edge of cardiac and vascular care. The new suite officially opened on November 7.

Funded by donors through Hamilton Health Sciences Foundation, the space supports leading approaches to cardiac and vascular surgery. It integrates imaging technology and surgical equipment to support a team of experts performing minimally invasive surgeries and traditional open surgeries in one location. “It’s gratifying to know that the fundraising efforts of our community are enabling the cardiac and vascular teams to provide an even greater level of care to patients in need,” says Pearl Veenema, president and CEO of Hamilton Health Sciences Foundation.

Using the imaging technology, the team is able to see things they can’t in a traditional operating room. Because the technology is integrated, they can use this imaging to guide the procedure without relocating the patient.

“Our teams will become more efficient because of the state-of-the-art equipment,” says Patty Walton, a clinical manager of perioperative services at Hamilton General Hospital.

The new suite will also enhance staff education and training, ensuring that the next generation of doctors are prepared to treat complex cardiac and vascular cases.

“The treatment of cardiac and vascular diseases has always been a flagship program in Hamilton,” says Dr. Jacques Tittley, a vascular surgeon at Hamilton General Hospital and physician campaign chair. “This new suite allows us to keep up with our national and international leadership, and provides us with opportunities to seek out new strategies for treating cardiac and vascular diseases.”