March 24, 2010 – The 2010 Annual Meeting of the American Association for Thoracic Surgery (AATS) will showcase two multipurpose interventional operating room suites that integrate digital imaging diagnostics, catheterization, and surgical capabilities. The two “Operating Rooms of the Future: Hybrid Technologies” will be constructed on the exhibit floor to give attendees a look at what the future offers for cardiac and general thoracic surgery. The AATS Annual Meeting will take place May 1-5 at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, Toronto, Canada.
Hybrid operating rooms allow surgeons and their colleagues to perform combined open, minimally invasive, image guided and/or catheter-based procedures in the same OR in the same operative setting. These interdisciplinary, multifunctional rooms bring technology to the patient with the goals of maximizing patient care, improving overall outcomes and decreasing time in the hospital.
“It is expected that the juxtaposition of technologies will allow for innovation in surgical approaches and procedures unimaginable till now,” said Raphael Bueno, M.D., associate chief, division of thoracic surgery, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston.
“The hybrid OR is not just the combination of equipment and technology into one procedural suite, but rather it is the embodiment of a collaborative working environment. This environment fosters the ability to think of new ways to care for complex patients,” said John Byrne, M.D., chair, cardiac surgery department, Vanderbilt Heart Institute, Nashville.
Siemens, Philips, Olympus, Skytron, Steris, Maquet, and others, will collaborate with AATS to construct the exhibit. The equipment on display will be fully operational and fully integrated to give attendees a true to life view of the functionality of a hybrid room.
In addition to the exhibit, a didactic program, “Building the Hybrid OR of the Future” will be presented and is designed for hospital executives and thoracic surgeon leaders interested in planning a hybrid room. This program will detail what a hybrid operating room is, what it can accomplish for the hospital, medical personnel and patients, and will also provide a road map on how to install such an operating room at a hospital.
For more information: www.AATS.org
April 23, 2024 
