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Controlled surgery cabin enhances safety, cuts costs for outpatient procedures
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HAMBURG — The ArcSterile controlled ambient surgery cabin provides a sterile location for outpatient procedures, optimizing time, use of human resources and, ultimately, costs, according to one surgeon.
The cabin is a movable, wheeled unit that includes two columns of air impulsion and air filtering, generating a tunnel of sterile laminar air flow.
“A sterile field is created around the head of the patient,” Roberto Gallego-Pinazo, MD, said at the Euretina meeting. “It is the same mechanism used by pharmaceutical industries to produce drugs: A laminar flow of purified air crosses the surgical field eliminating all microorganisms present.”
ArcSterile (Arc Medical Surgical) addresses a major concern of ophthalmologists in relation to new treatments for macular degeneration that require frequent monitoring and multiple injections with individualized schedules.
“In this ambience, monitoring and treatment becomes a one-place, one-step procedure with less need for personnel, rooms and equipment as well as reduced risk of infection,” Gallego-Pinazo said.
A retrospective comparison of costs, patient flow and frequency of infections showed that sterile cabin procedures are significantly more advantageous that conventional operating room procedures.
“Over one year, we saved €200,000 to our institution. Cost per procedure was reduced from €138 to €28. We had a 20% increase in surgical activity with a 34% decrease of OR occupation,” Gallego-Pinazo said.
No case of infection was reported in 1,851 procedures over one year.
The cabin is available in two sizes of 4 or 7 square meters, with a cost of €50,000 and €90,000, respectively.
Disclosure: Gallego-Pinazo has no relevant financial disclosures.