UCSD’s Sulpizio Center’s hybrid operating room sees first patient

City News Service

A heart attack patient who got a bypass and a stent in a single operation became the first patient to undergo surgery in one of the “hybrid’’ operating rooms at UC San Diego’s Sulpizio Cardiovascular Center, hospital officials said Thursday.[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ehh_R-uaw00&feature=player_embedded[/youtube]

Hybrid operating rooms enable multiple procedures to be done in a single operating session. Glen Bernard, 62, had a bypass operation and a stent inserted to clear coronary blockages in September, according to the hospital.

In the past, the procedure would have required separate surgeries.

Our new set-up allows the physicians from two different disciplines to merge their expertise in one room for the benefit of the patient,’’ said Dr. Michael Madani, co-director of the center.Here, two teams — the surgeon’s team and the cardiologist’s team — work as one to achieve optimal results

while improving patient care and efficiency.’’

The result is less time in the operating room and lower costs, according to hospital officials.

Barnard said he was walking a day after his surgery and in physical therapy the next day. Since the surgery, he and his wife took a vacation to Las Vegas, a hospital spokeswoman said.

The four-story cardiovascular center next to Thornton Hospital opened in August, following a four-month delay caused by an investigation by the state Department of Public Health into issues at emergency rooms at two UCSD hospitals. The construction was funded in part by a $10 million donation from the family of former Qualcomm executive Richard Sulpizio.