As a general surgeon for 36 years, I had a front-row seat to many advances in medicine. I believe laparoscopic (keyhole) surgery has been the most significant development in surgery over the past 30 years. My first thought upon observing laparoscopic surgery was the amount of equipment necessary. I recall an experienced nurse commenting, “We are going to need bigger and better rooms,” and she was absolutely correct.
The current operating room at Klickitat Valley Health is barely adequate for laparoscopic surger-ies. Not only is more space necessary for surgical equipment, but more space is needed for anesthesia monitors to deliver safe anesthesia. In the 12 years I performed surgery at KVH, I observed that our operating room requires more space, electrical outlets, and a reliable infrastructure to support modern-day surgeries. This would also help avoid cancellation of scheduled surgeries due to facility issues.