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A NEW ERA OPENS IN SURGERY Opening Ceremony of Sixth Operating Theater

Schneider Children's Medical Center of Israel, August 1, 2005: Laughter and chatter emanated from the overflow crowd of doctors, nurses, support staff and children gathered on the 4^th floor of the hospital; joy, anticipation and excitement were definitely in the air. A big bear wearing hospital scrubs ambled over to the large group of smiling faces, patted a child on the head, hugged a doctor and patiently posed for the flashing cameras. lThe bear  - a life-sized replica of the surgical suite's mascot - added significance to the spirit of the occasion. Schneider Children's was marking the official opening a just-completed, state-of-the-art operating theater, a landmark event heralding a new era in the hospital's surgical capabilities.

Schneider Children's conducts over 7,000 surgical procedures annually, but demand due to growing popularity has outpaced services, giving rise to longer waiting lists. The situation has been exacerbated by years of terrorism and now its aftermath, so that elective surgeries have a 6-month minimum waiting list - an unacceptable standard in pediatric care. In order to respond to need, Schneider Children's adopted an ambitious plan two years ago to upgrade its surgical capability, which included the addition of two new operating theaters, equipped with the latest technological advances.

Donors from abroad responded with alacrity, funding a new operating room for minor surgeries for outpatient procedures, and the 6^th operating theater that will service the important niche of elective procedures requiring one day of hospitalization, such as tonsillectomies, ear drainage tubes and hernias.

"Because of the enormous demand on Schneider Children's as a tertiary care center, almost all the surgeries conducted here are complex, urgent or life-saving, and other 'quality of life' procedures are practically impossible to accomplish," said Eitan Schleifer, Director of Administration. It appears that because of the high popularity enjoyed by Schneider Children's, many parents choose to await their turn for elective (scheduled) procedures rather than go to other hospitals.

"This is a great occasion and a very happy day," enthused Dr. Naftali Freud, Director of Pediatric Surgery. "The new theater represents a significant advance. Certainly, it will now be possible to treat many more children every day and proves that Schneider Children's aspires to the finest in children's care"

The new OR has been operational for 2 weeks already conducting about 10 procedures a day in five different subspecialties for children from all over the country. Noting its many impressive features, Dr. Yakov Katz, Director of the Surgical Suite, said that the new facility has been equipped with the most advanced instrumentation and accessories available today, according the conduction of the most complicated to the most simple of operations. Dr. Katz also indicated the brilliant overhead surgical lamps embedded within which are video cameras so that surgical activities can be followed by students and other specialists in real-time, as well as recorded for training and monitoring purposes. In keeping with its approach of the child at the center, two mounted and tilted TV screens offer programs for kids in 4 different languages, thus helping to calm and occupy them in a potentially threatening setting.                                

With the opening of the new facilities, Schneider Children's estimates that the waiting lines for elective procedures will be resolved within one year. "From now on, we can reduce the wait to between four to six weeks," said Dr. Freud. "The child will arrive at Surgical Day Care in the morning, complete the admission process, undergo the operation and following recovery and observation in the department, can be discharged by the evening. This is the realization of a veritable dream in modern pediatric care!"

Petach Tikvah

August 11, 2005

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