New Hybrid Operating Room at Bassett Medical Center Expanding Rapid Care for Patients During Heart Emergencies

Bassett Medical Center in Cooperstown has opened a new hybrid operating room, or “hybrid OR”, a state-of-the-art cardiac (heart) surgery facility that is greatly expanding options for emergency heart interventions. The new space combines the traditional operating room setting with a complete cardiac catheterization lab, also known as a “cath lab”. A cath lab is a specialized area where tests and procedures are performed to diagnose and treat cardiovascular diseases – or conditions affecting the heart, arteries, and veins.

Bassett’s new 1,000 square foot hybrid operating room allows staff to perform complex procedures in one place at one time. This means patients can get diagnosed and, if needed, receive surgical intervention immediately in the same space – eliminating delays and providing the best chances for full recoveries. The hybrid operating room expedites care and dramatically lessens the need to transfer patients to other hospitals.

“The new hybrid operating room at Bassett Medical Center allows the vascular surgery team to expand surgical options not previously available here,” said Dr. Shelby Cooper, FACS, Division Chief of Vascular Surgery at Bassett. “Complex aortic (heart) surgery can now be done more easily, safely, and expeditiously. In addition, combined angiography procedures (medical imaging that looks at veins, arteries, and the heart’s chambers) and open surgical procedures can now be accomplished in one setting – this greatly improves precision in real time during clinical interventions.”

Bassett Medical Center’s hybrid operating room is providing enhanced, timely care to people living in a rural, eight-county, 5,600 square mile region in upstate New York encompassing Chenango, Delaware, Fulton, Herkimer, Madison, Oneida, Otsego, and Schoharie counties. While heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States and globally, five of Bassett’s neighboring counties have heart disease death rates consistently above or far above the New York State and national averages. In fact, Chenango County ranked among the three highest death rates in New York State’s 62 counties every year for heart disease between 2006 and 2020.

“The hybrid operating room is designed for the care of patients with cardiovascular emergencies,” said Dr. Matthew Kleinmaier, Chief of Emergency and Trauma Services at Bassett Healthcare Network. “It allows our vascular surgeons and cardiac electrophysiologists (doctors who specialize in the heart’s rhythms and electrical activity) to complete their cases in a purpose-built space while making other surgical spaces available for additional patients. Building the hybrid operating room has significantly increased our capacity to care for patients with specialized cardiovascular needs.”

Bassett’s surgical teams are also using the hybrid operating room space for transcarotid artery revascularization (TCAR), a minimally invasive procedure that can clear blockages and open a narrowed carotid artery. “This is a huge advancement for patients in our region when time is of the essence,” said Dr. Cooper.

“For our patients, this rapid response facility can translate into improved outcomes close to home,” says Staci Thompson, MHA, FACMPE, interim President and CEO of Bassett Healthcare Network. “We are very excited to continue expanding Bassett’s outstanding Heart Care Institute and make this critical service available to our patients and communities – many of which are spread across very rural areas. During a cardiovascular emergency, every second counts.”

Photo Caption: Dr. Shelby Cooper, FACS, Division Chief of Vascular Surgery at Bassett Medical Center