When Spire Harpenden needed to increase its facilities in response to the ever-growing number of patients choosing the hospital for surgery, it approached KARL STORZ for its market-leading OR1 NEO® integrated operating theatre, specifically designed for minimally invasive surgery. In choosing the OR1 NEO®, Spire Harpenden will now treat its patients in the most advanced integrated operating theatre, facilitating the very best surgical outcomes now and well into the future, as the theatres are fully future-proofed and ready to accommodate any and all technological advancements as they come along.
KARL STORZ was asked to install two bespoke theatres, one including an ultraclean canopy, increasing the number of theatres at the hospital to five. Space restraints and issues with planning permission necessitated one of the theatres being a modular build, partially completed off-site before being brought to the hospital site for completion.
The OR1 NEO® integrates the complex requirements of an operating theatre, bringing together endoscopy, full HD camera technology, visualisation, documentation and communication. The entire surgical environment – endoscopic devices, video and data sources, and peripheral devices such as the surgical table and ceiling lights, is configurable for different procedures and individual surgeon preferences and can be controlled from a centrally located touch-panel within the sterile field, giving surgeons complete control over every aspect of their surgery, with all necessary information at their fingertips. The ability to pre-set the theatre to an individual surgeon’s needs creates a bespoke experience that reduces both operating times and the length of time a patient is under anaesthetic. This, combined with the lower impact nature of keyhole surgery, means patients spend less time in hospital and helps to speed up recovery.
The OR1 NEO® also stretches beyond the operating theatre, supporting clinical education by providing connectivity with hospital ICT systems to enhance audio-visual communication from the OR, whether for teleconferencing, teaching or telesurgery.
We are delighted and very proud to have a state-of-the-art, fully integrated operating theatre here at Spire Harpenden. From project conception and through every vital stage to completion, both our project team and KARL STORZ have collaborated and delivered on time and within budget. These important enhancements give our consultants and surgical teams a superior environment in which to operate and offer our patients the very best clinical outcomes
Wayne Large: Head of Clinical Services, Spire Harpenden Hospital