MEDSource, Inc. News

MEDSource, Inc. Newsletter September 2017

Posted on September 5, 2017 by jeff@medsourcerental.com

September 2017 – Having the right equipment that most closely replicates the OR environment can be tricky for bioskills lab facilities. There are so many different types of procedures that can be taught in a lab it can be daunting, difficult, and expensive to have everything that might be needed for arthroscopy, laparoscopy, foot & ankle, hand, spine, craniomaxillofacial, plastics and ENT, to mention a few. What’s a lab owner or manager to do?

Focusing on the most essential item – the table – can help. In a lab world where a variety of table options are available, from sawhorse and plywood, to fixed height or adjustable height treatment tables, to twin pedestal or single pedestal tables, there’s nothing better than an actual ‘general purpose operating room table’ – the basis of all hospital and ambulatory surgery centers throughout the world. It’s often said, “Proper patient positioning will insure the best post operative outcome.”

Supine – patient flat on their back

Prone – patient face down

Trendelenburg – table tilted head down

Reverse Trendelenburg – table tilted head up

Lateral tilt – table positioned left or right from the head-to-toe centerline

Flex – also known as “jackknife” with torso and foot sections positioned down forming an arch at the top

Reflex – torso and foot sections positioned up with the arch at the bottom (reverse tee-pee)

Fowler’s – a seated position with the back section up and the leg section flat or down, and slight Trendelenburg

Lithotomy – back and torso section flat or in slight Trendelenburg, and foot section down

Contour – leg and back sections up slightly with the headrest slightly down

Replicating proper patient positioning with cadaver specimen as another teaching tool will add to the overall success of the bioskills labs for the surgeons, sales reps and surgical staff. While many table options might work, if whole-body or heavier weight specimens are being utilized, the training lab may need to have one or two actual OR tables available. While an OR table is the “Cadillac” of tables, it may not be practical or affordable in all labs. MEDSource offers a number of options for mimicking the positions available on an OR table:

ALPS (Adjustable Lateral Positioning System, aka pegboard)

BlueALPS (pegboard that can be set on top of a breaking table)

Breaking ALPS (adjustable height pegboard to replicate a breaking OR table)

Radiolucent wedges and flat bottom bumps

Specimen holders

Surgical side rails that can be added to any table

Regardless of the procedure, a bioskills training event should mimic the operating room as much as possible. If the surgeon uses a Bovie, smoke evacuator, suction, battery powered or electric console drills, headlights, ancillary surgical instruments or anything else for live surgery, the bioskills lab should have these tools available for the event. The single piece of equipment common to all surgical procedures is the operating room table. Nothing is more important!

For more information, send us an email, or give us a phone call at 888-747-1190 and speak with a knowledgeable MEDSource, Inc. teammate.

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