Tulane Medical Center opens innovative hybrid OR

Tulane Medical Center recently opened a new “hybrid operating room,” an innovative operating suite that combines catheterization and imaging technology with a traditional surgical setting that allows physicians to perform complicated neurological procedures more efficiently, quickly and in a single location.

The equipment and construction costs represent a nearly $3 million investment in patient care, said Tulane Health System CEO Dr. Robert Lynch. “The best healthcare is the result of collaboration, and the hybrid operating room facilitates that cooperation among different disciplines,” Dr. Lynch said. “And with everything our clinical teams need available in one room, procedures are generally quicker – that’s good for patients and better for outcomes, especially for more complicated cases.”

The hybrid operating room allows for both open surgical and minimally invasive endovascular procedures, and the advanced imaging equipment allows physicians to perform necessary scans and treatment without transferring the patient to another room or department.

The new operating room also enhances patient safety, said Dr. Aaron Dumont, a Tulane Health system neurosurgeon who performed the first case with the new technology. “If we are unable to complete the endovascular procedure due to anatomy, for example, we have everything we need to quickly convert it to a surgical case and take care of the patient right there,” he said.

Tulane’s hybrid operating room has been specifically outfitted to accommodate high-level neurological procedures, including aneurysm interventions, skull base tumor surgeries and stroke treatments. And this is just the most recent investment in new neuroscience resources at Tulane Medical Center – the hospital also recently opened its new epilepsy monitoring unit designed to evaluate, diagnose and treat seizures in adult patients.

“We are thrilled to offer these new services to our community,” Dr. Dumont said, noting that the opening of the hybrid operating room was delayed until Tulane Health System deemed it safe to reintroduce elective surgeries during the COVID-19 pandemic. “We have processes in place to keep patients and staff safe for scheduled procedures. Please don’t delay needed healthcare.”

For more information or to make an appointment with a neuroscience expert, please call the Tulane Neuroscience Center at 504.988.5561 or visit Tulane Healthcare.