"The buzz regarding surgical tables focuses upon key elements of patient safety and reliability, flexibility, improving space, workflows, staff and operational efficiency, favorable patient outcomes, and program growth and expansion," says Randy Tomaszewski, vice president of marketing for Skytron, a leading manufacturer of surgical tables for close to four decades. "Trends include maximizing surgical table flexibility to be able to do even more with quality-engineered accessories as well as slide and top rotation functions to maximize positioning and imaging requirements for every procedure."

Table accessories and compatibility for supporting a wider range of surgical procedures are also very important in today's market.


Getting better all the time

Over the years, the bells and whistles available on O/R tables have included features dealing with safety, dependability and ease of use. Many customers are also asking for battery-operated tables, removing the potential of staff tripping over an electric cord.




According to Michael Haeusler, director of marketing for Maquet, which has been providing surgical tables for more than 175 years, the company is focusing on specializing its tables to meet the recent demand for a hybrid operating room and an integrated workplace.

"With our top-of-the-line Magnus model, you can detach the tabletop so the column will stay in the O/R and can be integrated into the floor and you can select the tabletop you need for any specific surgery. So, rather than buying three tables to cover the complete range of surgeries, all you need is one," says Haeusler. "The patient can already be positioned on the tabletop in the induction area and with our battery equipped Magnus transporter, the patient can be transferred in treatment position on the table top directly from there into the O/R."

For Surgical Tables Incorporated, the company focuses almost primarily on tables designed for the outpatient procedures that are done in surgical centers. Its streamline series has tripled the company's revenue over the last two years.

"Many doctors have been starting their own surgery centers and doing procedures in an office rather than hospitals. Our line of products [is] a perfect fit for an office setting," says Scott Sarver, sales manager for the company. "For every hospital, there are 20 surgery centers, so we cater to the individual doctor and build a relationship. The doctors are the ones who make the decision at a surgery center, where in the hospital there are budgets and purchasing departments, which make the process less personal."

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