Outpatient Surgery Magazine, providing current information on Surgical Services, Surgical Facility Administration, Outpatient Surgery News and Trends, OR Excellence and more.
Issue link: http://outpatientsurgery.uberflip.com/i/993266
J U N E 2 0 1 8 • O U T PAT I E N TS U R G E R Y. N E T • 3 1 N ow that total joints and other big cases are moving into the outpatient arena, many facilities are going to need to find ways to accommodate more and more equipment and more people in our ORs. And that's a key reason we love our wall-mounted Streamway fluid management systems from Skyline Medical. It has allowed us to expand our ORs without expanding our ORs. Several years ago, a bunch of us moved from the local hospital into this ambulatory surgery center and started doing orthopedic cases. To manage the fluid waste we produced, we purchased a somewhat clumsy mobile fluid-management unit with self-contained suction. As we irrigated, the unit sucked up the fluid. When we finished, we trundled the unit down the hall and a docking station sucked the fluid out and rinsed the unit so that it was ready for use again. The mobile system was unquestionably superior to the old canister systems, but there were issues. It was noisy. Our unit only held 20 liters, so during a shoulder case, we'd have to stop for several minutes while someone went sloshing down the hall to dock. If someone else was docking, you had to wait your turn, slowing the case even more. Docking was sometimes awkward and challenging. We couldn't use the unit for small cases, like foot, because you couldn't dial suction down enough. Most important of all, the unit took up several square feet of space on the OR floor. During the case we'd frequently have to move it out of the way as we shifted positions for the procedure. When it was time to replace that system about five years ago, we decided to trial the Streamway. What a difference. Unlike mobile systems, the Streamway fits on your wall, out of the way where no one bumps into it. It connects directly to your plumbing and suction systems, so there's never any need to stop a case and no docking. It's extremely quiet. There's no battery to recharge. With the enthusiastic support of our staff, we ordered three Streamways and got them installed over a weekend (we don't do fluid-intensive cases in our fourth OR). The installation was inexpensive and trouble free. We've had the units for five years now and they have been extremely popular with our nursing team. They are very easy and intuitive to operate—you just insert a filter, connect the tubes, set the suction and turn it on. The automated cleaning system that the Streamway activates between each case takes only five minutes, so it doesn't slow us down. And our surgeons like the fact that the units precisely measure the amount of fluid we've used every time. They say less is more. That's certainly been our experience with waste fluid management systems. Our Streamway's footprint may be small, but its impact has been large in terms of efficiency, safety and staff satisfaction. Ms. Courtney is Assistant Director of OrthoVirginia's Shrader Surgical Suite Sponsored by SPECIAL ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT In Fluid Waste Management, Less is More The Streamway unit increased elbow room and surgical efficiency in this facility's ORs. Tammy Courtney, RN, BSN, Richmond Va. LOVE AFFAIR: The OrthoVirginia staff with their Streamway. Clockwise from upper left: Tammy Courtney, Natasha Waller, Kendall Burleigh and Derick Monsegue