Robotic surgery provides many benefits to the patient including less invasive procedures, shorter hospital stays, and an overall shorter recovery time. However, these benefits come at a cost. Here are some tips on how to protect your patients AND your investment.
Robotic instruments are limited to a set number of uses and the number of times that they can be reprocessed. If the packaging is compromised during sterilization, storage or picking, an instrument that has been sterilized will have to go back to reprocessing, shortening the number of times the instrument can be used in surgery.
When storing robotic instruments and accessories make sure you have a dedicated, secure place to store them. By using enclosed storage, you will protect these instruments and accessories from dirt and debris.
Robotic instruments and accessories are typically sterilized and stored in peel pouches. You will want to make sure that your storage solution can accommodate the largest peel pouch size you will use to store these items. They should be stored flat without folding over the peel pouch. This will help to prevent damage to the peel pouch and unnecessary reprocessing.
The shelving should have smooth, clean surfaces that will not snag or tear the peel pouches. This could be painted steel shelves, wire shelves with rounded edges, or standard wire shelving with shelf covers for an added layer of protection. Follow your facilities and/or manufacturer's processes for cleaning these shelving units.