In recent decades Concord RGH has become recognised nationally and internationally as a centre of excellence in a comprehensive range of specialty services.
Reinforcing its reputation for excellence, in May 2007 Concord RGH opened a state of the art digitally integrated operating suite, specifically for laparoscopic and endoscopic procedures, or minimally invasive surgery.
The suite consists of two rooms, plus a computer data recording unit.
Sally Comerford, laparoscopic coordinator of the operating suite, said the digital equipment enabled the recording of still images and movies of the procedure being performed via the high definition cameras in the laparoscopes and endoscopes.
An ultra high definition screen over the operating table lets the surgeon see incredibly clear details of the area being operated on, while other staff can view from plasma screens further back in the room or in an adjoining room. Images can also be sent by videoconferencing to surgeons anywhere in the country and around the world.
As well as patient safety and comfort, the new digitally integrated suite has improved occupational health and safety conditions for medical staff as well. All the movable equipment hangs from pendants which can be turned 180 degrees in any direction, and can be adjusted by a simple handle.
The surgeons can set the height and angle of the large high definition screen to best advantage, and there is no heavy pushing of equipment trolleys or wheeled pieces of equipment from one operating room to another.
The equipment stays in the operating suite the whole time.
"Much better for our backs – there are no back injuries," she said.
No wheeled equipment means less wear and tear on the floor, but the flooring still needs to be durable to cope with up to 12 procedures a day, with mopping between each procedure.
The operating theatre floor is covered with Polyflor Prestige PUR – a sophisticated, high performance, heavy-duty homogeneous sheet vinyl flooring, which is easy to clean and requires no polishing for the life of the floor.
The colour chosen was Alabaster – a crisp off-white with flecks of grey and fawn, providing a good background for the blue lighting used in the operating theatre to enhance visibility. The flooring extends up the wall and is welded for infection control.
Polyflor Prestige also has substantial antistatic properties, which makes it the most appropriate product for an area like a digitally integrated operating suite which has sensitive medical equipment.
In the scrub area a different product was chosen to go under the wash troughs. As this is an area that is always wet, Polyflor's Corona safety flooring in the colour Barley was installed, showcasing it's superior slip-resistant qualities with a sustainable R10 slip rating guarantee for 10 years.
Like Prestige, Corona does not require polishing or sealing and both floors offer significant savings in time, money and to the environment with the manufacturer recommended maintenance regime.
