CONWAY, SC (WBTW) – As part of a $31 million expansion project, Conway Medical Center opened two new operating rooms this week.
Doctors say the new rooms allow more space for big equipment, which helps cut down the time it takes to complete a surgery. Dr. Tyler Noble with Coastal Orthopedics at Conway Medical Center has already done surgery with the new rooms, and he said this also allows them to take in more people overall, increasing the amount of patients getting in and out to have surgery.
“When you have a patient with a hip fracture for example, we were kind of at the mercy of having a room available,” said Dr. Noble. “Having two new rooms, from a logistical standpoint, is a great benefit. It decreases the wait time that patients will have to have in order to get a surgery done.”
The total cost to add two operating rooms is near $18 million, but Dr. Noble said it creates a safer environment for staff and patients. “Having a big room is not only helpful to house all that equipment, but it’s also good for patient safety as well,” said Dr. Noble. “If you’re crammed into a small room, the nurses and circulators will have to walk around the sterile field, and there’s a greater chance for contamination.”
With two more operating rooms, Coastal Orthopedics at the Conway Medical Center now has a total of 10. The other operating rooms are expected to get some technology upgrades next week. The overall expansion project for the hospital costs about $31 million, and the project is expected to be finished in June.
