Action offers its Performance Plus line, with 100 percent no-stitch construction and a proprietary hidden vent system for premium infection control. The pads are also enhanced with a continuous layer of polymer, which guards against pressure sores and keeps a consistent mattress surface.

Good as new


With so many smaller hospitals and surgical centers looking to buy used tables, those in the refurbished market claim that 2010 has been one of their best years ever.

"Business is really through the roof," says Moore. "With bigger hospitals updating tables every two years or so, there are some really good tables on the market to sell to rural hospitals - our niche. We are able to provide them with the same quality they can get on a new table."

But just because a table is refurbished, doesn't mean that the extras aren't there.

"We go over their future needs as well," says Gregory Wallace, owner of Portsmouth, NH-based H&S Medical. "If they are having a table rebuilt that is a 400-pound-rated table, we will upgrade to make it fit their needs in the coming years."

Venture Medical ReQuip's Pritchard explains that when dealing with refurbished tables, most customers are now expecting that the table will have a C-arm compatible imaging surface, so that has become an almost standard feature with the majority of refurbished tables they offer.

Looking ahead

With so many hospitals administrators and doctors still worrying about the economic uncertainty of our country, they want to make sure before purchasing a new table in the future, that it is practical and has the features that are more than just for show.

"We are doing everything possible to avoid making products that don't add to the safety and productivity of the health care equation," Steris' Chapman says. "I have talked to many CEOs, and all of us have honed our product development to focus on total cost of ownership, safety and other real customer needs."

As the manufacturers and refurbishers understand, improved tables not only save time for the surgeons, but they allow for a patient to rest a bit easier during the surgery.

"Our goals in every current and new surgical table design include versatility that requires less patient set-up time and requires fewer, well designed table accessories that expand capabilities as well as specialty needs such as our carbon fiber back and leg extension accessory, orthopedic extension, power lift shoulder positioner and more," says Skytron's Tomaszewski. "Our engineers are focused upon each development to consider greater efficiencies, shorter surgical start times and throughput with table designs that are easy to work with."

More Industry Reports