Groundbreaking technology

“My first day in the new OR, I couldn’t believe it. It’s a fantastic space. And that first week I got a real taste of the upgrades this surgical centre offers,” says Dr. Brian Kwon.

In his first week, Dr. Kwon, Canada Research Chair in Spinal Cord Injury and Marcel Dvorak Chair in Spine Trauma at VGH, recalls 10 surgeries he had to perform. These ranged from individuals who suffered devastating spinal trauma from hiking accidents and car crashes, to a cancerous tumour encroaching on the spine.

What stood out immediately to Dr. Kwon was the power the new, state-of-the-art technology offered to him and his team.

“The space is much larger, and the advances in technology with the imaging and the integration of it all really stands out when you get into the operating room,” says Dr. Brian Kwon. “There’s a mobile CT scanner we have where now we can put this around the patient in the OR, and use it live while we’re operating. This allows me to be incredibly precise.”

In addition to CT scanning, the OR also has a portable X-ray machine. It wraps around a patient and provides imagery in real-time, offering surgeons the power to see second-to-second what they are doing during an operation.

“The way the room is set up is such that if I’m operating, I can bring the screen that I’m looking at right in front of my face. And then my assistant, looking in the opposite direction can also have a screen brought in right in front of them. So ergonomically it’s much better, which ultimately is better for the patient,” says Dr. Kwon. “Then you can have different modalities of imaging. You can have the CT scan portrayed at the same time as the X-rays, all in real time. And all of that is seamlessly integrated in the OR.”

Improving recoveries

Specifically designed for patient comfort and privacy, the perioperative care spaces are enhancing care for patients even after their surgery is complete.

Each patient has their own bay. An individualized cubicle equipped with state-of-the-art instruments and a computer with access to their files, which they can discuss privately with their health care team.

“It’s easier to have a private discussion with patients about their surgery,” says Dr. Kwon. “And then what was really clever is that they put a computer on a stand for every station. You can actually take it and spin it around to show the patient, and then you can actually walk them through the imaging as well, right at the bedside.”

As a frequent user of the space, Dr. Kwon loves the enhanced experience for patients, especially during vulnerable moments in their lives