Hackensack Meridian’s Edison facility boasts ‘major breakthrough’

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Hackensack Meridian JFK University Medical Center in Edison unveiled a state-of-the-art hybrid operating room that combines advanced imaging and surgical technologies. 

In a Nov. 28 announcement, the medical center said because of this combination, the new space allows for traditional open surgical procedures to be performed with a minimally invasive approach, leading to shorter recovery times. 

Robert Garrett, CEO of Hackensack Meridian Health, said in a statement that the medical center is “pushing the boundaries of medicine to create real change in patients’ lives.”

Amie Thornton, president and chief hospital executive of JFK University Medical Center, called the hybrid operating room “a major breakthrough.” 

Thornton explained how the setup creates better patient outcomes, saying, “It allows multiple surgical specialists to work alongside each other, performing minimally invasive endovascular procedures, and complex aortic procedures in the state-of-the-art operating room. This approach can save valuable time when a life is on the line.” 

According to Steris, an Ohio-based medical device company, hybrid ORs can also reduce costs for health care facilities because equipment is needed in one place instead of multiple.

Dr. Geoffrey Wong, the medical center’s division chief of vascular surgery, said this facility will open doors for other specialties at the hospital. He added that it also reduces radiation and contrast exposure to patients and staff. 

“This new operating environment will certainly facilitate our surgeons, radiologists and interventionists to address much more complex vascular pathologies,” Wong explained. “Hence, a myriad of additional procedures can now be performed in a more streamlined fashion and ultimately increasing both case volume and OR throughput.”