5 4 S U P P L E M E N T T O O U T P A T I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E A U G U S T 2 0 1 5
surgeons meet their spe-
cific demands for access.
This ability to reposition
limbs in space opens the
door to less invasive sur-
gical techniques, and in
turn improves not just
the efficiency in complet-
ing the procedures but
also patients' abilities to tolerate and recover quickly from them. If you haven't
recently invested in a new table, your surgeons might not be operating as effec-
tively and as safely as possible.
Is imaging required?
The other feature that distinguishes an orthopedic specialty table from a tra-
ditional one is its ability to allow the imaging of anatomy right where it is,
without having to move or reposition the patient. In contrast to conventional
steel-structured tables, ortho tables are constructed of a carbon-fiber com-
posite tabletop and frame, which provide sufficient strength to support
patients but which don't interfere with C-arm views or other imaging modali-
ties. The thickness and density of their padding may also be less than that of
conventional tables.
Over the past 2 decades, the development of the radiolucent table has been
a hugely helpful change for surgeons, in both clinical and efficiency terms.
The earliest models of traction tables were made from steel, and patients'
extremities had to be moved in order to get a clear image. Now the patient's
joint or spine remains exposed, and the table's elements are barely a shadow
on the screen.
Ortho specialty tables' ability to accommodate the use of C-arms and other
z PLACES, PLEASE Minimally invasive orthopedic approaches demand
particular patient positioning, which requires tables that can do the job.
Pamela
Bevelhymer,
RN,
BSN
