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Beebe Healthcare Opens First Hybrid Operating Room in Sussex County

 

This hybrid operating room allows our medical care teams and specialists to seamlessly work together.
 
When it comes to vascular surgery, Southern Delaware now has new options.
 
Beebe Healthcare has offered advanced vascular and vein surgery since the program was founded in 1981. This month, Beebe Healthcare opened the new, state-of-the-art hybrid operating room at the Margaret H. Rollins Lewes Campus.
 
This new operating theater integrates minimally invasive procedures with complex open surgeries, streamlining patient care and reducing recovery time.
 
Top-of-the-line imaging equipment allows vascular surgeons and interventional cardiologists to overlay diagnostic images such as a CT scan with the X-ray machine in the room. This real-time visibility of the arteries results in shorter procedures because the patient does not need to be moved or scheduled for additional appointments.
 
“We’re ecstatic about this hybrid operating room,” said Carlos Neves, MD, vascular surgeon with Beebe Vascular, which also includes vascular surgeons Sean Ryan, MD, and Kevin Caldwell, MD.
 
“We want to provide the community with the best imaging, best patient care, the quickest recovery, and best healthcare. All three of us are trained in these complex cases, so this allows us to offer even more for our patients.”
 
Construction in the space began in 2018 when the former linear accelerator was removed, and the building was then expanded to create more than 1,000 square feet of additional space. The vascular team at Beebe has designed this surgical theater from the ground up. Having the surgical team involved in the design is one way Beebe is working to create the space to fit the team, instead of the other way around.
 
Beebe’s three vascular surgeons have trained in hybrid operating rooms.
 
“We are able to place balloons and stents as with normal endovascular procedures, but now we’ll be able to open arteries and fix them at the same time – reaching harder-to-access areas that would take more invasive approaches to repair,” Dr. Caldwell said.
 
Studies have shown that patients undergoing surgery in a hybrid OR have fewer complications and have a shorter recovery time because they only need to recuperate from one procedure. They also need to stay for a shorter amount of time in the hospital following the procedure.
 
“There has been a huge shift in vascular treatment,” Dr. Neves said. “Our field went from major surgeries that included all these cuts with longer hospital stays to smaller surgeries that are like punctures, where people go home the same day or overnight. The recovery is better, they feel better, they’re back to the normal activities quicker, and there’s no down time.”
 
Technological advancements like the hybrid operating room would not be possible without the support of the community through the Beebe Medical Foundation, which raised funding to support the design and the construction as part of the record-breaking “I Believe in Beebe” Campaign.
 
“This hybrid operating room allows our medical care teams and specialists to seamlessly work together, which is another example of how innovation is at the forefront of Beebe Healthcare’s efforts to create the Next Generation of Care for Sussex County,” said Rick Schaffner, Interim CEO, Executive Vice President, Chief Operating Officer.
 
“In addition to the hybrid operating room and the ongoing enhancements to the Margaret H. Rollins Lewes Campus, we are excited to see the progress being made on our South Coastal Health Campus near Millville, that will open this year, and will provide greater access to emergency services and cancer care for our neighbors in that region. We are also pleased with the progress on our Specialty Surgical Hospital at our Rehoboth Health Campus, which will also focus on innovations and enhancements for short-stay, planned surgical procedures.”