TRANSFORMING SURGERY

Third phase brings new ORs, expansive PACU

Ryan Shelstad, MD, of Bryan Heart Cardiothoracic Surgery shows off one of the three new operating suites at Bryan East Campus.

We’ve completed the third phase of our renovation and expansion on Bryan East Campus — to the delight of patients, providers and staff! They’re enjoying three new cardiovascular operating suites on the 2nd floor (adding to the 11 new ORs that were completed in an earlier phase) and a much larger post anesthesia care unit (PACU).

The three newest suites are bigger than other operating suites to make room for specialized equipment needed during heart, lung and vascular surgeries.

There are 18 patient recovery bays including a pair of isolation rooms in the PACU, which offers more floor space than the unit it replaces.

This $47 million, four-phase construction project began in 2019, and its final phase is expected to be finished next summer. "Early on in the pandemic, we had to decide whether we were going to

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move forward or delay the project," says Don Sheets, director of facilities and construction at Bryan. "We felt we could continue by using appropriate safety measures, such as wearing masks and maintaining appropriate distances. We've had great success, proving that keeping this project going was the best decision. It's always rewarding to see things come together."

The full project includes renovating 115,000 square feet of space and adding 14 operating rooms, two specialty procedure rooms, four private consult rooms and 40 private patient rooms for care before and after surgery. "We're very excited to hit the home stretch on this project," Sheets notes. "It's really special to see these spaces come to life after working through the many drafts, designs and drawings. "These new amenities will really benefit our patients and staff." n

To find out how you can support the work of Bryan Health, please call the Bryan Foundation at 402-481-8605.

The new PACU features 18 patient bays and a centralized nursing station on 2nd floor. Two isolation rooms (in photo below) in the PACU provide spaces for patients who require air flow and temperature to be closely controlled during recovery to protect themselves and others.

Three operating suites are specially designed and outfitted for heart, lung and vascular surgeries.