Medical Air Technology (MAT) has completed stage one of a major project with the McIndoe Centre in East Grinstead.
The first of the hospital’s ultraclean ventilation (UCV) operating theatres, featuring MAT’s new DYNAMIC™ screenless canopy, will soon be open for business, following an exceptionally smooth commissioning and handover process. This was in great part due to MAT’s overview of the total theatre ventilation system, which ensured all elements of the overall design worked together faultlessly, and handover could take place unhindered by delays caused by resolving compatibility issues between equipment from different suppliers. The new theatres place the McIndoe Centre firmly at the forefront of medical technology and innovation, creating the best possible operating environment for its surgeons and clinical teams to deliver outstanding patient care.
Originally a burns unit established as a legacy to pioneering plastic surgeon, Sir Archibald McIndoe, the McIndoe Centre has long been a centre of excellence in plastic, reconstructive and aesthetic surgery, and was recently seen putting people back together on Channel 5’s Botched Up Bodies. However, new owners Horder Healthcare wanted to extend the reach of the hospital and advance patient care with major investment in other specialisms, including orthopaedic surgery. MAT shared the hospital’s vision, and earlier this year won the contract to install three new theatres and a six-bed recovery area, due for completion by the end of the year. The teams from MAT and the McIndoe Centre have worked closely together throughout the first stage of the project, engendering a very positive and successful working relationship that will ensure the rest of the work continues as smoothly as it has begun.
A vital element at the heart of any operating theatre designed for orthopaedics is the UCV canopy, which prevents infection during surgery. Right from the start, the team at the McIndoe Centre wanted the new theatres to be equipped with the latest development in UCV technology – screenless canopies, and MAT’s new DYNAMIC™ fitted the brief perfectly. The screenless DYNAMIC™ works without the traditional skirt or canopy around the perimeter, so there is more clear space at ceiling level and pendants can swing easily in and out of the clean zone. The DYNAMIC™ uses the company’s unique ECO-flow™ technology to achieve an unprecedented level of performance for a screenless UCV canopy, combining controlled airflow with energy efficiency. The sleek, streamlined structure, which encapsulates 21st century design and technology, also enhances the aesthetics of the entire surgical environment, and facilitates the hybrid and integrated functionality that is increasingly popular in the modern operating theatre.
“We were always determined that our new theatres should place us right at the forefront of technology, and we believe the DYNAMIC™ does this. Its screenless design allows for the integration, coordination and ease of use of the pendant and monitor system associated with our endoscopy system, and means the theatres are future proof, and ready to accept new operating technology as it comes along. We can also offer an increased range of surgical procedures to our patients and enhance their experience with us. The lower running costs and reduced whole life costs resulting from the ECO-flow™ technology are an added bonus.”
Richard Fenner: Project Manager, the McIndoe Centre
