This report originally appeared in the August 2010 issue of DOTmed Business News

Although even early surgical procedures benefitted from having a table as part of the operation equation, it wasn't until sometime around the early '60s when manufacturers began transforming the O/R table from a hard, uncomfortable slab to a luxurious padded table designed with the comfort of the patient in mind.

Today, if you were to take a walk through the hallways of tradeshows targeting the surgical table market, you're sure to encounter many examples of a key piece of equipment experiencing an unprecedented evolution.
"Trends in surgical departments today are toward greater productivity and reducing turnaround times, with the expectation of improving patient outcomes," says Timothy Chapman, senior vice president of corporate strategy and group president of healthcare for medical device manufacturer Steris Corporation. "There are four key areas that table manufacturers are concentrating on: productivity, imaging ability, versatility and pressure management."

According to Eric Wittine, director of marketing for surgical solutions at Steris, in 2009, the company launched a new line of tables headed by the flagship Steris 5085 SRT General Surgical Table; these platforms have addressed the first three focus areas directly.

"We are the only company that has submitted to, and been cleared by FDA for a general surgical table that can transport a patient throughout the perioperative area with a single caregiver," Wittine says. "We have really looked ahead of current trends to needs expressed by our customers for greater productivity and ease of use."

Since the table allows clinicians the ability to slide, rotate and transport their patient, Chapman explains that it's a big deal for a busy operating suite.

"If you've ever watched a loved one going into surgery, they may go from a stretcher or hospital bed to pre-op, where they are put on a gurney and prepped for anesthesia. Then they're transferred again to the surgical table, then again to be transported to the recovery area," he says. "The whole continuous-flow concept of a mobile surgical table allows the operating room to embrace lean principles and minimize patient transfers. This is better for the patient and safer for the staff as well."

Skytron has also been listening to its customers when designing its tables. The company offers solutions such as 20-inch-plus top-slide in conjunction with usable radiolucent areas for imaging concerns, weight bearing capabilities such as 1,200 pounds lift with 1,000 pounds articulation, rotating tabletops, ultra low table heights, and removable and interchangeable back and leg sections.

More Industry Reports