23 July 2010
A brand new £1 million operating theatre at the Elective Orthopaedic Centre (EOC) in Epsom Hospital, which gives expert surgeons access to all of the latest technology and allows them to operate with even greater precision, has just opened.
The theatre, which is stocked full of cutting edge technology and brand new equipment, is the centre’s fifth operating theatre and will mean that more patients can be seen and treated for hip, knee, spine and shoulder conditions in a first-class environment.
The theatre includes a state-of-the-art computer system which operates a moveable arm that can move across the operating table and around the patient. The arm uses infra-red technology to measure the joint that is being operated on, and then projects it onto a screen, allowing surgeons to navigate the operation with the highest possible precision.
Medical Director and surgeon at the EOC, Gwynne Howell said: "Speaking as a surgeon, this theatre is an absolute asset to us and will really help us to keep on giving our patients the very best of care.
"Having a hip or knee replacement is a life changing event and can have an incredibly positive impact on someone’s quality of life. This theatre and the technology it contains will further improve the care we give our patients – it will help to make sure our patients continue to have successful operations, followed by swift and speedy recoveries.”
The million pound project was funded by the Trust’s capital development programme. Director of the EOC, Brian Wells said: "We are incredibly grateful to the Trust for providing this substantial amount of money. It is not only a great boost to the organisation and our patients, but it’s also a sign of the Trust’s ongoing commitment to and support of the EOC.”
The EOC is highly regarded for its work and performs more joint replacements than any other hospital in the UK. Brian said: "At the EOC, it’s about innovation and delivering the very best of care to our patients. We are a world leader in what we do, and it’s new equipment and areas like the new theatre that keeps us at the forefront of joint replacement surgery.”
