Innovative Surgical Table Surface

January 18, 2012

BERCHTOLD announces the TABLEGARD® Patient Care System for surgical tables, composed of a proven alternating pressure mattress combined with a patient warming unit. The new TABLEGARD® with Quattro Therapy™ is an OR mattress that is designed for surgical tables which brings proven alternating pressure redistribution to the surgical suite. During the course of a cycle, one of every four mattress cells will deflate for a period and then re-inflate to the previous level; the patient is supported by 75 percent of the surface at all times providing an extremely stable surface for the surgical procedure. The cycle is then repeated in the next series of cells. The alternating pressure creating the subtle removing and reapplying of pressure allows blood to flow providing oxygenation to the tissue cells.

According to Alvin Mayshack, OPERON Product Manager for BERCHTOLD, “The standard of care for the prevention of pressure ulcers for hospitalized patients is to re-position the patient every 2 hours which allows blood to move into areas that have been under pressure for a prolonged period of time. However, the goal of positioning a patient for a surgical procedure is to have that patient totally immobile in an optimal position for surgical access for the entire time of the intervention.

The recognized standard of care and positioning for the surgical procedure are in direct conflict with the prevention of pressure ulcers. In procedures lasting longer than 3 hours, this conflict is exacerbated. The alternating pressure mechanism of the TABLEGARD® accomplishes the goal of pressure management by cyclically redistributing pressure and preventing skin breakdown while providing a stable environment for the surgical intervention.

Perioperative hypothermia is a common and serious complication of surgery. The combination of anesthesia-induced impairment of body temperature control and exposure to a cool surgical environment causes patients to become hypothermic.

Significant increases in the risk of costly complications occur when patient’s temperatures drop by as little as 1.5° C. BERCHTOLD's Thermae Therapy™ warming system circulates warm air beneath the patient to assist in maintaining the body's core temperature within the normothermic temperature range throughout the procedure.

“It is unique because it incorporates the two technologies, but the true key feature lies in the fact that it is the only available dynamic solution for the OR table. The best that a static product, such as foams and gels, can do is to maximize the area over which pressure is distributed and offers no assistance with managing the patient’s core temperature. The TABLEGARD provides true localized pressure relief that is experienced over the entire body during a full cycle. This greatly decreases the incidence of pressure ulcers for patients and reduces their discomfort and time in the hospital, which saves money.”

For more information, visit www.berchtoldusa.com.