Can Operating Room Design Make Orthopedic Surgeries Shorter, Safer, and More Efficient?: A Quasi-Experimental Study

The study aimed to fill the knowledge gap about how operating room (OR) design could reduce orthopedic surgery duration and contribute to surgical care safety and efficiency.

Long surgery duration may lead to delays and cancellations of surgeries, deteriorated patient experiences, postoperative complications, and waste of healthcare resources. The OR physical environment may contribute to the reduction of surgery duration by minimizing workflow disruptions and personnel movements during surgeries.

Unobtrusive observations were conducted of 70 unilateral total knee or hip replacement surgeries in two differently designed ORs at a community hospital in the United States. A set of computer-based forms adapted from recent research was used to measure the surgery duration, environment-related disruptions, and ambulatory movements involving circulators. Potential confounding factors like surgery type were controlled in statistical analyses.

Significantly shorter surgery durations were recorded in the larger OR with more clearances on both sides of the operating table, a wider door located on the sidewall, more cabinets, and more clearance between the circulator workstation and the sterile field (p =.019). The better-designed OR was also associated with less frequent disruptions and fewer movements per case (p < .001). Significant correlations existed between surgery duration, the number of disruptions, and the number of movements (rs = .576-.700, ps < .001).

The study demonstrated the important role of OR physical environment in supporting the safe and efficient delivery of surgical care, which should be further enhanced through research and design innovations.