Transforming cardiovascular care: GHRMSA and a state-of-the-art Hybrid OR

According to Ms. Corinne Krencker, Chief Executive Officer of the Hospital Group, “Beyond the regulatory context that requires healthcare institutions to have a Hybrid OR by the end of the year in order to conduct cardiac surgery activities, our healthcare professionals had expressed a desire for our institution to have this state-of-the-art equipment and to be able to offer up-to-date, less invasive techniques to patients. Part of our institutional strategic project was also to catch up so that we can be more attractive to vascular surgeons, anesthesiologists, and OR staff.” The Hybrid OR at GHRMSA is designed for cardiac surgery, vascular surgery, interventional radiology and interventional cardiology, supporting four clinical specialties.

“The use of a Hybrid OR, above all, meets challenges related to the quality and safety of care”, explains Paul Baeumler, senior manager of the ARUBA (Anesthesia, Intensive Care, Emergency, ORs, Outpatient) division of GHRMSA. Less invasive and shorter, Hybrid procedures require fewer contrast media, expose patients to less radiation and carry a lower risk of complications. Recovery times and length of stay are shorter, helping to improve patient comfort. The safety of care is also optimized thanks to the stringent aseptic conditions associated with the OR, reducing the risk of infection, as well as the proximity of anesthesiologists. Ultimately, setting up this Hybrid OR contributes to improving patient care.

Ms. Véronique Fouché-Noizet, Director of Operations and Material Resources Division Coordinator, confirms, “Philips provided us with the best response to our needs within our allocated budget.” She adds, “In addition to the technological choice, it was the more structured support provided to professionals in managing change that ended up convincing management to choose Philips.”

Collaboration and friendly competition among teams is another advantage. The Hybrid OR allows a quick switch from a minimally invasive procedure to open surgery in case of complications, providing increased flexibility in planning and executing medical procedures. These Hybrid ORs also facilitate collaboration among medical teams, bringing together specialists from various fields for complex procedures and promoting friendly competition.

Ms. Corinne Krencker notes, “On a professional level, working in a Hybrid OR provides enrichment opportunities for staff: surgeons are able to develop new treatment techniques by combining different approaches, and anesthesiologists and paramedical staff have the opportunity to collaborate with different physicians. This strengthens teamwork and, ultimately, fosters team loyalty.”

This substantial investment will have a highly positive impact on the hospital’s image: not only in the eyes of patients, who are reassured that they are being treated in a hospital at the cutting edge of technology, but also in the eyes of healthcare professionals. It allows GHRMSA to promote loyalty among those already with them, since they will be happy to work in a modern healthcare institution where they can offer innovative approaches, and to recruit new talent who will be attracted by such a prospect.

According to Dr. Bogdan Bratu, Vascular Surgeon at GHRMSA, “Access to better quality imaging systems in a large enough room now makes it possible to treat patients requiring complex surgical procedures. For example, we can implant branched or fenestrated endoprostheses to treat abdominal or thoracic aortic aneurysms and to manage aortic dissections or post-traumatic aortic ruptures. We are also able to perform complex recanalizations for atheromatous disease of the iliac or gastrointestinal arteries, as well as carotid stenting, which requires great accuracy. These advancements allow us to welcome a wider range of patients to GHRMSA.”

To set up a multidisciplinary Hybrid OR, GHRMSA must overcome a range of organizational and technical challenges. Questions like: which types of procedures requiring which types of specialists will take place in this Hybrid OR, and how should scheduling be organized for this new room and reorganized for the other ORs? must be considered to visualize the operational flow and ensure that each stakeholder can work under the best conditions.

Jocelyn Paul, Philips Project Manager, shares, “We collaborated extensively with the various clinical teams required to work together in the Hybrid OR, so that we could understand their practices and positions in the OR and arrange the equipment accordingly.”

A multidisciplinary approach, including project committees and biomedical engineering, ensured the Hybrid OR was tailored to clinical needs. Philips supported the process with digital twin modeling, co-creation workshops and ongoing communication, facilitating smooth change management and team adaptation. The installation of the Hybrid room within the OR, which already has a well-defined organizational structure, raised a few concerns that needed to be addressed. Supporting the clinical teams was one of the priorities, critical to the success of this project. The creation of a working group helped to support professionals in understanding the challenges, particularly pertaining to human resources, to facilitate visualizing the new organizations and to assist with adapting to the space and the working environment.

Beyond simply acquiring an innovative technology, this Hybrid OR embodies a holistic vision of clinical treatment, combining clinical expertise and state-of-the-art equipment to offer the highest quality care. By integrating the needs of patients and healthcare staff, this project illustrates the crucial importance of collaboration and of involving all stakeholders in transforming clinical practices. Thanks to this Hybrid OR, GHRMSA has strengthened its position as a major healthcare institution in its region, to respond to the most complex medical challenges and to offer patients the highest quality of care.