This probe is used in cryoablation technology to destroy tissue, restoring normal heart rhythms. Photo courtesy of Cryocath Technologies, INC.

The high-quality surgical services at Desert Springs Hospital Medical Center are about to get even better as the Surgical Services Department is undergoing renovations and adding advanced technologies.

"The new renovations and technology will help us enhance the care we provide and allow us to offer new and better treatments," says Nelia Herico-Bennett, RN, BSN, Director of Surgical Services at Desert Springs Hospital. "Our goal is to offer advanced surgical services that are easier on patients, help them recover faster and may improve their outcomes."

Workers are in the process of updating and reconfiguring the department's nine operating rooms, recovery areas, front desk, sterile procession area and main sterile supply room. They're completing the project in phases to avoid disrupting surgical services during the renovations.

"We're moving walls and replacing floors and ceilings to make the department more aesthetically pleasing and efficient," says Herico-Bennett. "The changes will make it easier for doctors to perform procedures and will enhance patient comfort."

New Technology
When completed, the Surgical Services Department will have a more functional layout and will be equipped with new technology for doctors to perform more precise and advanced procedures. Some of the new technologies that are, or will soon be, available at Desert Springs Hospital include:

• An innovative surgical table for spine and trauma-related hip surgeries. The motorized Andrews Spinal Surgical Table -- which is much quicker and easier to navigate than a traditional surgical table -- helps place patients in an optimum position for neurological and orthopedic spinal procedures.
• A Jackson table to use in neurosurgery and orthopedic procedures to provide better exposure of the affected area.
• Cryoablation technology to treat patients with irregular heartbeats. Doctors use small flexible catheters and imaging technology to reach the heart and identify where the abnormal electrical impulses start. Then they use a probe attached to a machine powered by nitrogen or argon gas to freeze and destroy tissue, disrupting the abnormal electrical pathways and restoring normal heart rhythms.
• An advanced, easy-to-use C-arm X-ray imaging system that produces extremely high-quality images. Physicians use the system to view surgical areas on a video monitor when they perform delicate procedures. This imaging system is used for brain and spinal surgeries.
• A high-resolution digital microscope with recording capabilities. This creates exceptional images of the surgical area and allows surgeons to record procedures and review them later.

For more information about the surgical services available at Desert Springs Hospital, please call 733-8800.

The Valley Health System c/o Valley Hospital Medical Center 620 Shadow Lane Las Vegas, NV 89106