State-of-the-art trauma operating room opens at Foothills Medical Centre

March 27, 2013

CALGARY – Patients with severe traumatic injuries now have access to faster diagnosis and more comprehensive treatment than ever before thanks to a state-of-the-art hybrid operating suite now open at Foothills Medical Centre. The Interventional Trauma Operating Room (ITOR) is the first operating room in North America and only the second in the world specially designed to control bleeding of patients with severe traumatic injuries.

The 150-square-metre, $6-million suite – funded by the Calgary Health Trust and the Government of Alberta – is more than twice the size of a traditional operating room, and includes its own angiography suite, which allows surgical and diagnostic imaging teams to work on a patient simultaneously.

“This is an excellent investment that makes a direct and immediate improvement for Albertans in trauma care,” says Fred Horne, Minister of Health. “This suite gives severe trauma patients their best chance for survival and recovery. It is an impressive addition to some of the best trauma care in the world.”

Calgary Health Trust Board Chair Ann McCaig concurs.

“ITOR is the perfect example of how health care philanthropy brings world class care to individuals and their families in Calgary and Southern Alberta,” she says, “Working with our donors, the Trust strives to ensure clinicians have access to the cutting edge technology like this suite which ultimately means better outcomes for critically injured patients.”

Typically, when trauma patients arrive at Foothills, they first go to the emergency department so that surgeons can determine whether their best chances of bleeding control are in an operating room or in an angiography suite.

Now patients with severe bleeding can go directly to the ITOR, where the internal bleeding assessment and repair is performed at the same time the surgical or angiographic team begin their work, saving time that could ultimately save lives.

“For patients with severe bleeding, we are now able to offer the absolute highest level of technology, the best care and best chances of survival of anywhere in the world,” says Dr. Andrew W. Kirkpatrick, Medical Director of Trauma Services with AHS. “This space brings multiple teams together to do the right thing for the patient, as fast as possible.”

The suite was outfitted and constructed thanks to $3 million from Calgary Health Trust’s Foothills Hospital Home Lottery program and a generous anonymous donation, as well as $3 million from the Government of Alberta’s McCaig Tower Capital Fund Project.The only other ITOR is located in Sydney, Australia.

Tickets for the 2013 Foothills Hospital Home Lottery are already over 60 percent sold. The lottery launched February 26th and demand for tickets has been extremely high. With two spectacular grand prize show homes and over 9,300 prizes worth more than $5.6 million; ticket purchasers have a 1 in 15 chance of winning.

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Calgary Health Trust, a catalyst in health care philanthropy, connects donor passion with treatment, education and research priorities in the Calgary community. With more than $330 million raised for health care since 1996, we help advance technologies, programs and services at Foothills Medical Centre, Peter Lougheed Centre, Rockyview General Hospital, Women’s Health, Carewest continuing care centres, community health programs, and other health care organizations in our community. Visit www.calgaryhealthtrust.ca to learn more.

Alberta Health Services is the provincial health authority responsible for planning and delivering health supports and services for more than 3.8 million adults and children living in Alberta. Its mission is to provide a patient-focused, quality health system that is accessible and sustainable for all Albertans.

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