Operating theatre staff can get an unprecedented bird’s- eye view of patients having heart and lung surgery courtesy of the latest audio-visual equipment at Fiona Stanley Hospital.
The West Australian was given an exclusive tour of the new cardiothoracic operating suites yesterday, including one being used for lung cancer surgery, ahead of the opening of WA’s heart and lung transplant service at the hospital on Monday.
The move marks the merging of separate cardiothoracic services at Royal Perth and Fremantle hospitals, as well as the opening of the final stage of Fiona Stanley Hospital five weeks ahead of schedule. The cardiothoracic unit is already using eight theatres and performing emergency surgery.
From Monday, that will increase to 13 theatres, staffed by six specialist surgeons.
High-definition cameras fitted into overhead theatre lights allow surgeons, anaesthetists, nurses and support staff to get a close-up view of surgery on big screens, while other monitors show the patient’s vital signs as well as medical records such as scans and X-rays.
One theatre houses a state-of-the-art medical scanner known as Artis Zeego, which can provide 3-D images from head to toe without the need to transfer the patient to a separate diagnostic unit.
Apart from carrying out major cardiac and lung surgery, the Murdoch hospital expects to perform about two transplants a month, including eight to 10 hearts.
Head of cardiothoracic surgery and transplantation Rob Larbalestier said compared with Fiona Stanley Hospital, Royal Perth’s heart and lung unit was like using a television from the 1980s.
“This is really the sort of technology we need and because it’s brand new, it’s not retro-fitted but all integrated, so it’s more user-friendly and efficient,” he said.
“Having cameras in the lights means everyone can see what the surgeon is doing rather than having to crowd in and peer over a shoulder, and that makes it more operator-friendly and better from an infection point of view.
“We have a one-stop shop where we can do complex ‘hybrid’ surgery such as doing open-heart surgery and fitting a stent at the same time.”
FSH commissioning chief executive David Russell-Weisz said the next three months would be spent tweaking hospital services.
This is really the sort of technology we need. ” Surgeon Rob Larbalestier