Critical Care Complex

A new generation of technological advances has inspired Samitivej to significantly raise the standards of our operating rooms with the sole purpose of providing the best medical care for our local community and beyond. Samitivej’s Critical Care Complex is the result of a two-year meticulous effort by our surgeons and medical staff, together with leading architects, engineers, consultants, and technology companies. It offers 8 new operating rooms, 5 labor rooms, 1 neonatal intensive-care unit (NICU), and 16 new ICU rooms. Not only does the Complex provide the best working environment for surgeons, but our eight new state-of-the-art surgical suites are all fully equipped with the latest surgical technology to increase our patients’ safety and well being.

The goal of Samitivej’s Critical Care Complex (CCC) is to provide a higher-standard surgical experience. Our surgeons participated in the design process, making certain that the new operating rooms enhance each unique surgery and the surgeon’s qualities, aiming to provide better care and treatment for our patients.

Safety

The patient remains our number one priority, so it is paramount that our critical care complex offers a safe, sterilized and stress-free environment. To that end, our new operating rooms include the following:

Sterile Zone

Laminar Airflow system is an air circulating and filtration system installed in all operating rooms to reduce the risk of airborne bacteria and other sources of bacterial contamination, resulting in decreased infection rates. Air is released from the ceiling, providing a flow of clean air over the surgical staff, patient and operating table. This air barrier creates a clean zone around the operating table, preventing dust particles from interfering with surgery.

Anti-bacterial Walls

Our new operating rooms are home to Thailand’s first glass operating room wall – a recent medical innovation from Europe. The walls inside the operating rooms are laminated, built in one piece with seamless surfaces. The non-porous surface prevents bacteria from developing in the operating room walls which significantly reduce the chances of infection.

Spaces and Pendants

The new operating rooms are spacious, allowing more equipment and necessary devices in the room. Pendants are used to reduce the amount of cables and equipment. These new design elements minimize the risk of accidents in the operation rooms.

Leaded Walls

Fifty percent of all surgeries require the use of a fluoroscope which produces radiation. All our surgeons, nurses and patients already wear special suits for their protection, but we make sure that our walls are also lined with lead to prevent radiation from leaking out of the operating rooms.

Positive Pressure Rooms

The air pressure inside every operating room must be higher than the pressure outside. Positive pressure rooms push germs out of the operating rooms, and keep them outside every time the door closes or opens.

Particle Class
The patient remains our number one priority

“Clean zone” standards are met in every room. These standards are 100,000 particles per cubic foot for the catheterization laboratory (Cath Lab), 10,000 particles per cubic foot for every operating room, and 1,000 particles per cubic foot for the Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) Laboratory.

Meticulous Floor Plan

Rooms are positioned in relation to each other according to the needs of our surgeons, who were involved in designing the floor plan from the beginning. There is no need for patients to be transferred to other buildings or outside the critical care complex area. The close proximity of each room enhances patient safety and reduces the chance of complications which can occur during transportation.

As an example, the Cath Lab connects with the cardiovascular thoracic operating room. Also, with the obstetrics and gynecology (Ob-gyn) room and the ART Laboratory connected, eggs can be picked up from the Ob-gyn operating room then immediately fertilized in the lab. There is a higher chance of producing a healthier embryo when the egg and sperm spend a shorter amount of time in transport. The two rooms are also connected to the natural birth room, and in case of complications a patient can have a c-section as quickly as possible.

Embryology Laboratory

Our new embryology laboratory utilizes international standard and state-of-the-art technology to provide infertile patients with a natural embryonic environment to increase pregnancy rate. In this new laboratory, we can provide treatment to more infertile couples while still maintaining the same medical standards as before. The laboratory’s unique features include:

• Non-Fluorescent light which is safe for embryos.
• An air shower which reduces the body’s particle levels to match the lab’s (1,000 particles per cubic foot).
• Eggs are kept at 37 degrees celsius, the same temperature as the mother’s body. After the ovum pickup process, the eggs are put in the Pass Box before being transferred into the lab where a medical technician can immediately start the fertilization procedure. This procedure keeps the eggs in the best possible condition.
• Hepa-filters are installed in the ceiling to filter outside air, resulting in an environment devoid of toxins and bacteria.
• Materials for our equipment are chosen with the purpose of keeping the embryos in the best condition. For example, the gas cable is made from stainless steel which keeps the quality of the gas constant.
• If the humidity is too high, the room, the equipment and the eggs may become moldy. Therefore, the humidity is meticulously controlled in the laboratory.

Post-Surgical Care Unit (Recovery Room)

The recovery room is covered by our central monitoring system allowing patients to receive constant monitoring and support. Each bed has a button to signal a nurse who is always on call for that particular patient. We also have a recovery room specifically designed for children.

ICU, CCU and Post-Op Rooms

The features of our new ICU include the following:

• Windows so that patients can look outside and know the time of day, thus reducing the chance of them suffering from ICU psychosis.
• A cardiologist is available around the clock. After a patient has undergone heart surgery, they are immediately transported to the nearby CCU. There is also an Intensivist who provides 24/7 care for patients who have just been through an operation.
• For difficult cases that require a lot of equipment, every room has a pendant which houses the equipment without reducing a doctor’s workspace.
• There is a computer directly outside every room so that the patients can receive whatever the doctor has ordered faster. Nurses and doctors are able to retrieve or enter information such as lab results or ultrasound results quickly and easily. The computer can also be used to enter orders for medicine or blood testing. Fast treatment is absolutely essential, especially for cardiac patients.
• There is a built-in toilet in each room, enhancing patient convenience while allowing the nurse to provide better care.
• Total Nursing Care – Samitivej has up to 70 nurses who take care of patients in the ICU, CCU and Post-Op rooms. There are forty beds available and each nurse is specially trained in a certain field. More than fifty percent of our nurses have more than 10 years of experience in providing care for patients in critical condition. We have one nurse per patient in order to provide better care and responsiveness.

The Critical Care Complex houses the latest medical technology, enhancing the level of surgery as well as the patient experience. After more than a year of research and analysis, we have chosen the best new equipment to complement our state-of-the-art facilities.

The Critical Care Complex houses the latest medical technology

Our new equipment includes:

3D Integration of laparoscopic monitor and lighting control system

This new equipment and control system provides better accuracy and precision for surgical tasks.The system controls lighting and temperature to suit each surgical procedure and enhances the efficiency of treatment. Preset controls are easy to set up in advance and can be controlled by voice activation, reducing preparation time for emergency surgeries.

Blue light

Blue LED lights are used in the hallway and inside the operating rooms to improve resolution when medical monitors are involved in the surgical process. The lights help reduce operation time, and shorter surgeries mean shorter recovery times for patients.

3D Full HD Medical Monitor

Patients are able to benefit from better and more efficient treatment due to the introduction of our new HD medical monitors. The new monitors have an advanced anti-reflective screen technology to optimize image contrast and provide surgeons and staff with clearer imagining views during operations. These monitors also display higher resolution color images, making it easier for surgeons to differentiate, by color, things such as muscle tissue, bleeding, etc., while also providing more overall detail.

The launch of Samitivej’s new operating rooms is part of our vision of Samitivej becoming a Green Hospital. Through collaboration with the prestigious King Mongkut’s Institute of Technology Ladkrabang, part of our new state-of-the-art operating complex is now powered by solar energy. From the beginning of our renovation process, utilizing free energy has been a core focus. Our new solar-powered panels are able to generate 150 kilowatts per hour. Polyurethane foam is installed in the walls, ceiling and roof of the operating rooms, keeping the rooms cool and enhancing the environment of other temperature- controlled rooms (e.g., the semen storage room). Our Green initiative also helps to reduce the sound of heavy rain in the operating rooms. Through green technologies, Samitivej hopes to utilize more efficient, sustainable energy for the next 25 years and beyond.