What is a Surgical Boom?

Why are surgical booms important?

Surgical booms, also known as equipment booms, provide support for other equipment throughout the Operating Room (OR). A surgical boom is designed to ergonomically centralize all surgical support equipment and utility services for OR staff. Booms are used in healthcare facilities where there is a need for access to medical gases such as oxygen, nitrogen, and carbon dioxide, electrical power and audio-visual data services. By keeping cords out of the way of surgical staff, surgical booms reduce trip hazards. Most surgical booms also provide shelving and accessory equipment side rails to organize and centralize surgical equipment.

Surgical Boom Configurations

Surgical Booms are often designed to be flexible and able to conform to various configurations depending on the space requirements, function and purpose. Factors such the type of surgical procedures, interaction with equipment, and layout of the room (Operating Room, Intensive Care Unit (ICU), Emergency Room, etc.) must be considered when designing a surgical boom. A surgical boom often contains multiple electric and gas outlets for electrical power needs and medical gases. Ceiling mount location, the number of mounts, arm length, and column length are all variables that must be selected to ensure proper integration of the surgical boom into the perioperative workspace.

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Surgical Boom Features

Medical gas outlets, electric outlets, adjustable shelving, mechanical brakes, and adjustable or fixed height arm systems are some of the features that may be found on a surgical boom. The features built into a boom are often customizable based on the facility's needs. Selection of features such as the adjustable height arm system provide greater flexibility but with higher cost and complexity.

The following are some common boom features with anticipated benefits:

• Adjustable height vs. fixed height arms – Adjustable height arms consist of either a spring or motorized vertical joint between the first and second arm. The adjustable height enables vertical adjustment of arm mounted monitors or the ability to push utilities up out of the way when not in use.
• Electromechanical vs. friction brakes – Surgical staff want a boom that will stay in place when in use but easily move when repositioning is needed. Electromechanical breaks are continuously applied to the boom joints to keep the arms in place except for when the activation button is pressed. Upon activation, the brakes are removed and the arms can be moved with little effort into the desired position. The arms can be held in place with simple friction brakes but considerable effort must be used to reposition the arms.
• Electric and gas outlets – Location of electric and gas outlets on the boom allows for connection of surgical equipment directly to utilities on the boom to improve cord organization and keep cords off the floor.

Surgical Boom Accessories

A surgical boom can be used with hundreds of accessories such as equipment shelves, equipment rails and rail mounted accessories, smoke evacuation system, IV support, medical gas support, monitor arms and organizational tools.

• Equipment shelves – Surgical equipment such as cameras, insufflation, and electrosurgical units (ESUs) are often placed on shelves attached to the surgical boom. The size and weight capacity of the shelves must be sufficient to support anticipated equipment requirements.
• Equipment rails and rail mounted accessories – Some surgical equipment can be mounted to rails attached to the surgical boom.
• Smoke evacuation system – Designed to remove or filter smoke and aerosols produced from a surgical site during electrosurgical and laser procedures.
• IV support – The surgical boom should support mounting of various IV poles.
• Monitor arms – Monitors are often mounted to the surgical boom to display patient information or video from within the operative site.
• Organizational tools – Baskets, drawers and computer stations are just a few examples of organizational items that can be added to a surgical boom.

Surgical Boom Requirements

The installation of surgical booms requires significant planning and knowledge to meet structural requirements and ensure proper connection to electrical and gas utilities. Most surgical booms are installed as part of a renovation project or during construction of new surgical suites, and room layouts and other factors are considered when selecting surgical boom systems.

Where To Buy Surgical Booms?

Because surgical booms are often customized for an operating room, ICU, emergency room or hybrid OR with a specific room layout, the purchase of this equipment can be a multi-step process. Hospital purchasing staff may consider factors like service support, compatible accessories, cost, configuration customization and environmental sustainability when deciding on which surgical boom to purchase. Typically, a sales representative or distributor helps to facilitate the buying process of surgical booms and surgical boom accessories. The representative will work with clinical staff, architects and equipment planners to ensure proper installation and use of surgical booms.