Outpatient Surgery Magazine, providing current information on Surgical Services, Surgical Facility Administration, Outpatient Surgery News and Trends, OR Excellence and more.
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from basically anywhere. "That's extremely helpful when revision surgery is need- ed, especially if another surgeon performed the original case," she explains. "Our surgeons have told me, 'Pictures say so much more than dictated op reports.'" Searching for a deal Pam Richards, RN, MBA, program manager of surgery at Mackenzie Health in Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada, has her hands tied when it comes to making capital purchases. "Funding here north of the border is different than it is in the states," she says. "We live off the generosity of donors and revenue generated from the hospital's parking garage." The foundation has been poured for a brand new hospital that will give Ms. Richards more funding for the imaging technology she wants to add, but she won't have the funds to completely fill the space with brand new products. "We're going to have to merge our current imaging technologies with whatever is available when we open the place in 5 years," she says. "Backward compati- bility is essential for us." Her hospital has only 20 high-definition laparoscopes, meaning her surgeons must sometimes use standard definition scopes to perform non-complex cases. For that reason, Ms. Richards wants to invest in monitors that are HD, 3D and 4K compatible, a versatility she says 2 companies currently offer. Her surgeons are also very interested in adding 3D laparoscopes for use during advanced bowel resections and transanal minimally invasive surgery (TAMIS), which is used to treat rectal cancer and rectal polyps. Ms. Richards, whose insights are perhaps most useful to the many surgical facilities that operate on a shoestring budget, always seeks answers to 3 key questions when deciding on which imaging system to purchase: Does it improve quality of care? Does the vendor provide excellent customer service? How much does it cost? Consider the "final" price of imaging technology that vendors offer as a start- ing point for negotiations, says Mr. Keller. "Companies know you're looking for good equipment at a good price, and expect to come up with a number that 6 4 • O U T PA T I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E • M a y 2 0 1 7