Design Trends for The Surgical Suite
Surgical rooms are not just rooms anymore. Because they need to accommodate today's growing number of specialties, subspecialties, and medical innovations, surgical rooms have become entire suites that continue to grow in size and requirements. But these are not the only evolutions that have taken place in recent years in the design and construction of the surgical suite. The design of these suites is ever-changing, as medical technologies expand, spin off into new and more specialized areas, and grow to meet modern demands. Commercial remodeling contractors in Bellevue have been tasked with keeping up with all aspects of surgical suite design trends to stay on top of advancing medical needs, especially as technology booms and changes. Seattle hospitals must be as efficient as possible in order to treat patients effectively and optimally at all times. The most important design trends for surgical suites include the need for larger operating rooms and suites, room for advanced technology, better use of space, and shared support areas.
Larger operating rooms
The old idea of operating rooms is no longer adequate to support the needs of growing populations and advanced medical technologies. Today's OR needs much more square footage in order to accommodate modern medical machinery. Where 400 square feet used to be the standard size of an operating room, modern ORs are commonly programmed to hold 500 square feet or even 600 square feet in order to accommodate today's equipment as well as more specialized personnel. This new size is becoming the standard, and it is a major trend in surgical suite design. And where the funds for such increased size in ORs may not be as readily available for the largest size of 600 feet, the idea of a smaller OR standard is going by the wayside in favor of increases of at least 100 square feet, from 400 to 500.
Advanced technology
Robotic technologies and other advances in medical innovations are making it necessary to have spaces that are equipped to accommodate these new inventions. Minimally invasive surgical techniques, intra-operative MRI areas, and other specialized equipment often must have separate spaces in order to operate as efficiently as possible, while not interfering with other medical equipment. However, as budget constraints don't always allow for separate rooms, divided suites have become one of today's biggest trends.
Better use of space
One of the concerns of having larger operating rooms, and even shared suites, is whether such expansion will create less efficient supply spaces and use of staff. With this in mind, one of today's surgical suite trends is the concept of clusters of operating rooms rather than larger, separate sections. With these smaller groups of ORs comes the ability to establish one sterile core area for all accompanying rooms and specialties to utilize. And, as more subspecialties become the outgrowth of their larger specialties, these core areas are more fully equipped to better accommodate all of them. Better and more comprehensive application of every area used in surgical suites is one of today's biggest concerns in hospitals, especially with recent changes in insurance laws, budget cuts, and population shifts. Today, accommodations are also being built for side-by-side interventional and surgical rooms. Pre-operative, operative, and some postoperative recovery areas also are being consolidated in order to make better use of shared staff, supplies, and when necessary, equipment.
Shared support
With all of these surgical suite design trends comes the need for better integration of support staff. Though operating rooms are getting bigger, this is not always the case for hospital budgets, especially with recent changes in insurance laws and governmental financing. Today, support personnel must be utilized in the best and fullest ways possible. This means that clusters of surgical, recovery, and various specialty and subspecialty rooms are better combined in order to utilize support staff as thoroughly as possible in order to rectify budget cuts with greater patient requirements.
No one can predict what tomorrow's surgical suites will look like, especially as technology continues to progress at such a swift pace. As medical technology advances, so must the areas that are used to treat patients with such advancements. Yesterday's surgical rooms are no longer equipped in size, function, or efficiency to utilize the necessary innovations to treat patients to the fullest degrees available. Today, surgical suites in Seattle and across the country must meet higher standards of design and construction in order to better utilize every modern technology for the best treatment of patients possible.
Larger operating rooms
The old idea of operating rooms is no longer adequate to support the needs of growing populations and advanced medical technologies. Today's OR needs much more square footage in order to accommodate modern medical machinery. Where 400 square feet used to be the standard size of an operating room, modern ORs are commonly programmed to hold 500 square feet or even 600 square feet in order to accommodate today's equipment as well as more specialized personnel. This new size is becoming the standard, and it is a major trend in surgical suite design. And where the funds for such increased size in ORs may not be as readily available for the largest size of 600 feet, the idea of a smaller OR standard is going by the wayside in favor of increases of at least 100 square feet, from 400 to 500.
Advanced technology
Robotic technologies and other advances in medical innovations are making it necessary to have spaces that are equipped to accommodate these new inventions. Minimally invasive surgical techniques, intra-operative MRI areas, and other specialized equipment often must have separate spaces in order to operate as efficiently as possible, while not interfering with other medical equipment. However, as budget constraints don't always allow for separate rooms, divided suites have become one of today's biggest trends.
Better use of space
One of the concerns of having larger operating rooms, and even shared suites, is whether such expansion will create less efficient supply spaces and use of staff. With this in mind, one of today's surgical suite trends is the concept of clusters of operating rooms rather than larger, separate sections. With these smaller groups of ORs comes the ability to establish one sterile core area for all accompanying rooms and specialties to utilize. And, as more subspecialties become the outgrowth of their larger specialties, these core areas are more fully equipped to better accommodate all of them. Better and more comprehensive application of every area used in surgical suites is one of today's biggest concerns in hospitals, especially with recent changes in insurance laws, budget cuts, and population shifts. Today, accommodations are also being built for side-by-side interventional and surgical rooms. Pre-operative, operative, and some postoperative recovery areas also are being consolidated in order to make better use of shared staff, supplies, and when necessary, equipment.
Shared support
With all of these surgical suite design trends comes the need for better integration of support staff. Though operating rooms are getting bigger, this is not always the case for hospital budgets, especially with recent changes in insurance laws and governmental financing. Today, support personnel must be utilized in the best and fullest ways possible. This means that clusters of surgical, recovery, and various specialty and subspecialty rooms are better combined in order to utilize support staff as thoroughly as possible in order to rectify budget cuts with greater patient requirements.
No one can predict what tomorrow's surgical suites will look like, especially as technology continues to progress at such a swift pace. As medical technology advances, so must the areas that are used to treat patients with such advancements. Yesterday's surgical rooms are no longer equipped in size, function, or efficiency to utilize the necessary innovations to treat patients to the fullest degrees available. Today, surgical suites in Seattle and across the country must meet higher standards of design and construction in order to better utilize every modern technology for the best treatment of patients possible.