GEISINGER MEDICAL CENTER -- Interventional radiology is how doctors use imaging to guide them during minimally invasive procedures.
Traditionally, that's done using different pieces of equipment and in different rooms.
Geisinger Health System invited us in to see a new hybrid or that does it all in one spot.
Officials at Geisinger Medical Center were excited to show off a new interventional radiology hybrid operating room. Hybrid because it's multi-modality, meaning, it can do more than one thing, such as an angiogram and a CAT scan, for instance. same table, same room, without having to take the patient across hallways or make them come back to the hospital more than once.
"You could do procedures with accuracy, with more precise targeted treatment, and better outcome of patients," said Dr. Ashok Bhanushali.
Dr. Bhanushali, the system director of interventional radiology at Geisinger, says it's also safer the risk of infection lower and the guidance more precise than what they had before.
He also notes this is the first of its kind in the country.
"It's an exciting moment because this is a one-of-a-kind machine we have at Geisinger."
OR staff members says there's a long list of patients or possible diagnoses for which the OR could be used.
"Any type of dialysis, trauma, someone who is bleeding internally, a lot of oncology work," said one staff member.
"In the big picture, it's the best care you can provide for doctor and patient, which is the key," Dr. Bhanushali added.
Dr. Bhanushali says the hybrid OR has already been used on several patients.