The new hybrid operating room combines a conventional theatre with an angiography system dedicated to cardiovascular surgery. It allows minimally invasive and endovascular procedures, while the new 3 Tesla MRI delivers sharper images in less time.
In October 2019 HM Montepríncipe University Hospital in Madrid, part of the HM Hospitales group, brought a new hybrid operating room and a new 3 Tesla MRI scanner into service. Both are part of the hospital's technical modernisation programme, which had already renewed the adult, paediatric and neonatal intensive care units.
What a hybrid operating room is
A hybrid operating room combines a conventional theatre with an imaging system, an angiography unit, in this case one dedicated to cardiovascular surgery. It extends the surgical facilities of the HM CIEC integrated cardiovascular centre, which is based at the hospital.
According to the hospital's medical director, Dr Virginia Soler, this combination allows diagnosis and treatment to take place at the same time, opening up new options for technically advanced procedures.
Benefits for patients
- Less invasive treatment. Minimally invasive and endovascular procedures are performed in the hybrid room, for example transcatheter valve replacement or stent grafts for aortic aneurysm.
- Flexibility. If open surgery becomes necessary during a minimally invasive procedure, the team can convert in the same room without moving the patient.
- Results checked on the spot. Diagnostic imaging is usually done outside the theatre, which takes extra time; here the surgeon sees the vessels during the operation itself.
- Faster recovery. Less invasive procedures usually mean a shorter hospital stay, although the choice of method depends on the diagnosis and the patient's condition.
The hospital expects hybrid rooms to become the standard within a few years, particularly in cardiovascular surgery.
The new 3 Tesla MRI
A 3 Tesla MRI scanner produces sharper images in a shorter examination time than standard 1.5 Tesla machines. This matters most for scans of the brain, joints, prostate and heart, where fine detail affects the diagnosis and the treatment plan. A shorter scan is also easier for patients who find it hard to lie still for long.
Who may benefit
Patients considering treatment for heart and vascular disease in Spain: valve disease, aortic aneurysm, complex coronary artery disease and congenital heart defects. Whether a minimally invasive method is suitable in a given case is decided by the team of cardiologists and surgeons after assessment.
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