Photo by Matt Kelly

November 16, 2004

Surgical technician Steve Funkhouser (foreground) demonstrates endoscopic surgery, where the surgeon places a probes inside the body and follows the progress on display screens, as part of a tour of 14 new, state-of-the art operating rooms are opening at the University of Virginia Medical Center. This marks the midpoint of a four-year expansion effort that will significantly increase surgical capabilities and keep U.Va. in the forefront of advanced surgical technologies. Tours were conducted Nov. 10 for employees, media and the public. Once the operating rooms are being used in mid-November, a sterile environment will be created limiting the opportunities for press and public access.

“Our surgeons will now have access to the most technologically advanced tools in imaging, robotics and infection control. The Expansion will also increase our radiology and heart center capabilities,” said R. Edward Howell, vice president and chief executive officer of U.Va. Medical Center.

The new operating rooms, located in the facility’s newly created wing, are 13,000 square feet of new floor space containing 21st Century technology, with features that include a new air handling system called Laminar Airflow that creates a germ-free air barrier around the patient and “Smart OR” technology which involves booms that provide surgeons with easier use of endoscopic equipment and flat panel screens to view images from radiology, digital video recordings and even telemedicine proceedings. The changes reflect the Health System’s commitment to innovation, safety and precision.

Renovations also include newly constructed pathways and areas that make for greater privacy, easier navigation and increased comfort for patients in recovery and family members waiting to see their loved ones. Three different registration desks will receive patients based on the surgical procedure. There are separate elevators for surgical patients as well.