A Faster Operating Room in Five Days

Copenhagen University Hospital wanted to reduce the time between surgical operations. The improvement team found that too much time (60+ minutes) was spent

• Investigating whether the patient got the required information from the surgeon (10 minutes)
• Unpacking individual sterile disposables (30 minutes)
• Waiting for missing devices (five trips per surgery)
• Waiting for the patient to regain consciousness to be transferred to recovery (20 minutes)
• Waiting for transport to recovery (10 minutes)

With some basic analysis, the team implemented countermeasures to save 60 minutes:

• Surgeon draws an X on patient’s wristband when the patient has been informed about the operation, allowing anesthesia to begin.
• Prepackaged sterile disposables replaced individual disposables, saving two nurses and 30 minutes.
• Standard checklists ensure that all materials are gathered before the operation starts.
• Anesthetic depth was adjusted so that the patient wakes up when the operation is finished.
• Hospital orderlies move patients to recovery immediately.

SSM Healthcare reduced operating room turnaround times from 30 minutes to 15.8 minutes.