Less than a year after opening, the hybrid endovascular surgical suite at Memorial Hermann Northeast Hospital has helped thousands of local residents and become a destination learning center for surgeons from across the country.
The $2.5 million innovative addition to Memorial Hermann Northeast opened in February and has since been the site of more than 2,500 surgeries.
“We have the best technology in that room, from ultrasound to imaging, and it has a huge impact on patient care,” said Kousta Foteh, MD, a vascular surgeon affiliated with Memorial Hermann Northeast. “Many surgeries, which were deemed technically difficult before, are much easier to perform because of what the new hybrid suite can provide.”
The suite has been ideal for using specialized surgical techniques, like the pedal artery access technique. Pedal artery access can be used to help correct complications from peripheral artery disease (PAD) affecting the lower limbs. PAD, which can cause blockages in the arteries of the lower limbs, can lead to amputation if medical or surgical intervention isn’t immediate.
“The advanced imaging equipment in the suite allows us to clearly see blood vessels that would be harder to see with our old catheterization lab equipment,” Dr. Foteh said. “Patients who have undergone pedal access surgery to clear arterial blockages typically experience much shorter recovery times and higher limb salvage success rates than with traditional surgical methods.”
But local patients aren’t the only beneficiaries from the suite, which has been used as a classroom to demonstrate surgeries to visiting physicians on multiple occasions. This fall, Dr. Foteh presented on the different surgical approaches to lower limb arterial blockages to more than a dozen visiting physicians, including those from Arkansas, California, Colorado, Mississippi and South Carolina.
“The advanced technology in the suite allows us to better demonstrate specialized procedures and creates a great learning environment for those looking to enhance their surgical skill-set and knowledge base,” Dr. Foteh said.
The proximity of Memorial Hermann Northeast to Houston George Bush Intercontinental Airport means surgeons can be at the hospital within an hour of arrival at the airport and back on their way home by the end of the day. Those surgeons can then begin the process of implementing what they’ve learned to help patients at their respective medical facilities.
“The addition of the suite has allowed Memorial Hermann Northeast to help so many patients from the surrounding area, as well as raise the profile of the hospital nationally among some top healthcare professionals,” said Heath Rushing, Sr. Vice President and CEO at Memorial Hermann Northeast.
“The advanced care we have provided to our patients is why we were so passionate about adding this surgical suite,” Rushing said. “The attention we are receiving from outside our region is really a testament to the medical expertise of our staff and affiliated physicians, as well as the suite’s technical proficiency.”