A tibial fracture with secondary displacement is one of the first acute cases operated on by doctors in the Division of Pediatric Surgery and Traumatology on a new operating table. During the year pediatric surgeons from Parkitka Hospital in Częstochowa perform over one thousand one hundred operations, including 400 anastomoses which often require millimetre precision. Now their work is supported by Famed Optima, the world’s first operating table covered with carbon fibre which facilitates medical imaging. It was brought to the Częstochowa facility thanks to Famed Żywiec and the Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity. The Żywiec-based medical equipment manufacturer is a pioneer in using carbon fibre in the production of operating tables, a technology that improves the safety of medical staff and patients.
Doctors from Parkitka Hospital provide professional help to as many as two thousand young patients a year. They specialize in treating complex fractures. Therefore, the table was equipped with a special table for hand surgery and also a carbon – transparent orthopaedic lift, with accessories dedicated to this type of treatment.
– As for trauma cases, we have already operated on, among others, a broken tibia with secondary displacement, initially treated conservatively in gypsum immobilization.Thanks to the translucency of the distal part of the Famed Optima table and its footrests, it was possible to place an ESIN intramedullary anastomosis using TEN system wires quickly and without the need for subsequent plaster immobilization. For the patient, these professional terms mean an almost immediate possibility of rehabilitation and the prospect of a faster recovery,» says Dr Andrzej Krempaszanka, head of the Pediatric Surgery and Traumatology in Parkitka Hospital.
– We are grateful that the Grand Finale of the Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity is not only a fantastic fundraising event and great solidarity of Poles but also concrete in-kind donations from companies such as Famed Żywiec. Thanks to this, the first effects of our Finale are practically immediate – says Anna Orzech, WOŚP Foundation spokesperson.
Invaluable help during surgery
Doctors from Częstochowa can boast twenty years of experience in their specialty. During this period, the technologies they use have changed significantly. Twenty years ago, it was common to apply direct or indirect limb lifts for 2-4 weeks and gypsum immobilization, which resulted in the patient being almost «bedridden».
– Currently, we no longer use such solutions and our work is significantly facilitated by specialized operating tables. Thanks to WOŚP and Famed Żywiec, we can perform procedures using an operating table which is functionally adapted to our needs and equipped with dedicated accessories,» adds dr Krempaszanka.
While the extraction features of the table are less important for younger patients, the case is different for teenagers.
– Our patients include children and adolescents, from infants to 18-year-olds entering adulthood. Older patients weigh so much that correct setting of fractured bones – which requires millimetre precision – becomes easier thanks to the functionality of the operating table and its extractor accessories. This is made considerably easier by the transparent carbon-fibre extractor. This functionality is particularly important in cases of thigh and tibia fractures,» explains Dr Krempaszanka.
During the operations performed in the unit, good transparency of the equipment and compatibility with the C-arm (mobile X-ray machine) are very important. The new table offers a top that is transparent to X-rays, and the long imaging window (1340 mm) and 360° imaging provide great opportunities for X-ray use.
– The equipment makes the work of the medical and nursing team easier. It is not only about the aspect related to the use of roentgenograms, but also issues such as the absence of the need for a radiology technician or the possibility of using only one mobile X-ray machine instead of two. A pleasant surprise for pediatric anesthesiologists was the translucency of the table for X-rays. After inserting the central puncture into the subclavian vein, in the operating room conditions, they could immediately check the position of the catheter in the right atrium of the heart. Without having to transport the child to the Imaging Laboratory,» comments Dr Krempaszanka.
Famed Optima is the world’s first operating table fully covered with carbon fibre, a material with good X-ray translucency properties and less prone to damage. Its use reduces the risk of damage to components of the mobile X-ray machine during surgery, when valuable equipment can easily be damaged unintentionally. The table can be used e.g. in neurosurgery, orthopaedics, cardiology, bariatrics, gynaecology or general surgery. Good translucency parameters allow to limit the radiation dose to the patient and staff. This is important in view of the risk of doctors and nurses developing radiation-related illnesses as a result of frequent exposure to radiation. During a single operation, up to several dozen X-ray images may be taken.
When it comes to using Carbon in medical equipment is the «technology of tomorrow», which Famed Żywiec is implemented today. It is a response to the needs of the medical community, as it improves the quality of X-ray imaging, but also significantly increases the safety of this procedure. This is what Famed Optima is like. We know that it has been given in really good hands – comments Marek Suczyk, Famed Żywiec vice-president.
– From a doctor’s perspective, the fact that there are individuals, companies or organizations that want to help health care and are helping makes us «still want to do it.» This voluntary commitment, of which we are the beneficiaries, is a remedy for professional burnout. We really appreciate it very much – concludes Dr. Krempaszanka.
Czestochowa hospital obtained about 50 million PLN for new equipment
– We work so that our hospital is one of the best in the Silesian voivodeship and can serve the community of the northern part of the region for the next few decades. In the last two years we have obtained 110 million PLN for investment in the hospital, about 50 million of this amount was spent on the purchase of equipment. We plan that by the end of 2024 the value of the outlays on the modernization of the hospital will include a further 200 million PLN – says Zbigniew Bajkowski, the Parkitka Hospital General Manager. – I would like to thank you for donating the modern equipment to our hospital. We are at the stage of complete renovation of what we operate on and where we operate. One of the challenges we have to face is to renovate the old and create a new operating theater. Currently, we use practically all available operating rooms at full capacity – he adds.