The Operating Room of the Future

During the past few decades, new technologies such as microwave ovens, wireless phones and personal computers have completely changed the way we live and communicate. In the same ways, new technologies have led to dramatic advancements in the field of surgery.

Some surgical procedures that are widely used today in areas such as orthopedics, vascular surgery and urology were not even available just a decade ago. A needle passed through a small incision can be used to treat a broken vertebrae; lasers and radiofrequency waves can cure conditions in the urinary tract, veins and arteries; and minimally invasive techniques that use tiny incisions can be used to treat problems ranging from gallstones to hip replacements.

To keep ahead of this rapid progress, physicians and medical planning experts are designing the operating rooms in the new University Medical Center at Princeton to accommodate today's most sophisticated technologies, as well as what may be ahead. With much more space and state-of-the-art computer technology, the operating rooms in the new University Medical Center will help our surgeons continue to improve outcomes, increase patient safety and shorten recovery times.

For example, patient information during an operation today may be held in paper charts, on films and on multiple computer screens. In the operating room of the future, the surgeon and anesthesiologist will have access to a single digital display that provides everything they need to know--from a patient's temperature to allergies and medical history. X-rays, MRIs and other imaging studies, even those that were taken at a remote location, will be digitally available within an instant. Similarly, the surgeon will be able to adjust the operating table and instruments using simple voice or touch-screen commands.

Over the longer term, the space and computer infrastructure in the new operating rooms will open the possibility of robotics, the next generation of surgery. The surgeon, standing a few feet away from the patient, remotely manipulates instruments without actually touching them. A robotic machine mimics his movements, guiding the scalpel and other surgical tools with an incredible level of precision unmatched by the human hand.

Designing the operating room to meet the needs of 2011 and beyond is a critical and ongoing part of the planning of the new University Medical Center at Princeton.