Advanced vascular ORs opened at Grey Nuns

EDMONTON – Patients with vascular conditions now have access to advanced hybrid operating rooms, with the official opening of two operating theatres at the Northern Alberta Vascular Centre (NAVC), which is located at the Grey Nuns Community Hospital.

The new suites will help care teams to improve clinical outcomes, patient comfort and image quality at a reduced X-ray exposure to help patients get home faster. The operating rooms were built in partnership with Alberta Health Services, who provided $10 million in funding:

• $5 million in infrastructure; and
• $5 million in equipment.

Construction started in May 2017 and the space re-opened to patients in September 2018.

“Albertans can be very proud of the world-class care provided at the Northern Alberta Vascular Centre. The leadership and compassion of the dedicated surgeons and nurses are changing the lives of the 300,000 Albertans who suffer from vascular diseases,” said Sarah Hoffman, Minister of Health.

The two new operating theatres in the NAVC feature high-end technology that produces exceptional imaging and emits less radiation for patients and staff. They are the first hybrid operating rooms with the advanced Canon technology in Canada.

“These new operating suites give us incredible flexibility,” said Dr. Owen Heisler, chief medical officer for Covenant Health. “While the rooms will be used primarily for vascular surgery, the rooms are flexible enough to accommodate various types of surgery – from gynecology to orthopedics – and what makes it a hybrid is the ability to perform both open and minimally-invasive procedures in the same room.”

Vascular surgeons treat diseases of the arteries and veins, which can come from many sources including genetics. Smoking, high cholesterol, high blood pressure and poorly controlled diabetes can all increase risk.

“We encourage our patients and the community to reduce their risk factors for vascular disease by eating right, exercising and regular physician visits,” said Dr. Gerrit Winkelaar, head of vascular surgery at the NAVC.

“For those who do come through the NAVC doors, the new suites allow our surgical teams to continue to deliver excellent care but with newer, safer technology for everyone involved.”

Another distinct feature of the new suites is the green light that bathes the operating room during surgical procedures. It allows surgeons to clearly see the monitors while still making it easy for other staff to read charts and patient vitals.

The NAVC provides care to a population of 2.3 million in Northern Alberta, the Western provinces and the Territories. A partnership between Covenant Health and AHS, the NAVC performs more than 2,300 procedures a year. NAVC also hosts Vascular Health Day annually in September in Edmonton to help build awareness on the importance of vascular health.

“NAVC has put ourselves in a position to lead the advances in vascular surgery and continue to educate the public about risk factors, symptoms and prevention of vascular disease,” said Trevor Small, senior director of operations at NAVC. “We’re excited by that.”

About Covenant Health
Covenant Health is one of Canada’s largest Catholic healthcare organization with 17 facilities and over 15,000 physicians, employees and volunteers serving in 12 communities across Alberta. A major provider in Alberta’s integrated health system, Covenant Health works with Alberta Health Services and community partners to positively influence the health of Albertans through a broad range of programs and services. For more information, please visit CovenantHealth.ca.