A surgical facility's business literally rests on its OR tables, so buying a table that'll do its part in shouldering your caseload is a key decision. As a medical equipment planner, in presenting numerous facilities with vendor-neutral reviews of surgical table options, I've found that a few common factors determine the right choice.

1. Flexibility
Perhaps the most important criterion for a surgical table is its ability to handle all the cases you do, particularly if you're a multi-specialty center. When we've worked with facilities to inventory their equipment and plan purchases, we've found that sometimes they're seeking to replace a table because the motor's giving out, but usually they just want a table that does more. Older tables don't have the flexibility that newer models do. When choosing a table, you'll want it to be able to serve as many specialties as possible through its positioning abilities and available attachments. Once you put the OR table in the room, it usually stays there, and you'll want it to be as versatile as possible. So keep in mind the specialties you concentrate on, host most frequently and hope to add.

2. Motion
A table's positioning and maneuvering abilities assist, and therefore depend on, the procedures it is intended to support. For instance, if you do pain management or orthopedic procedures, you'll want to look for tables that can tilt into the Trendelenburg position. Adjustable height is essential for providing different surgeons doing different procedures with accessible and ergonomically comfortable surgical sites. But lowering and raising the table can also help OR nurses and other surgical staff members ensure safe patient transfers from and to stretchers or wheelchairs.

For intraoperative imaging, a tabletop that can slide lengthwise is a necessity. The amount of distance it can slide will depend on what you're imaging for. Pain management, for instance, can require a long imaging window and a longer slide can offer the ability to do the job without repositioning equipment. For urological procedures, on the other hand, the imaging window is much shorter.

Make sure your table will be able to offer the patient access you'll need without your having to reposition the patient or the equipment the procedure requires, and make sure that your C-arms and other intraoperative equipment fit at the table.

3. Trialing
When you've narrowed your table candidates down to two or three vendors' models, you'll want to arrange for surgeons and staff to trial them. Manufacturers are generally willing to accommodate facilities seeking to road-test their tables. Some facilities send a delegation of surgical staffers to the manufacturer's showroom or exhibit hall booth at a professional conference. Others have demonstration tables temporarily installed in their own ORs. What I've seen most often, however, is for managers and surgeons to visit other surgical facilities that have purchased the tables they're considering. That way they see the tables in actual use, and can discuss them with customers who have used them for longer than a trial period.

During the trials, it's likely that you'll primarily examine the positioning and maneuvering abilities mentioned above, as well as how well the hand- or foot-operated controls enable those abilities. But you'll also want to study how easy it is to attach, remove, clean and maintain any table accessories available, particularly if they're bulky or heavy. You don't want them to be work hazards for your OR nurses. Additionally, look into how well the table's padding and accessories such as arm and leg positioners protect a patient's pressure points and prevent pressure injuries.

4. Specialty options
The weight capacity of a standard surgical table is about 450 pounds. As a portion of the patient population has increased in weight and size, though, we've definitely seen a trend toward tables with higher weight capacities that can handle larger patients for bariatric surgeries and other cases.

These tables feature weight ratings of 700 to 1,000 pounds and offer a wider tabletop as well. Depending on what types of cases you're performing, and what size patients you're seeing, it's worth considering having at least one OR table that can handle larger patients. Keep in mind, though, the distinction between a table's "lift weight" — the total amount it can raise and lower — and its "articulation weight" — the often lesser amount it can tilt, shift or otherwise position under.

If your procedures employ intraoperative imaging, it should go without saying that you'll want a radiolucent table, one that lets X-rays pass through areas of its structure. In a table, this is accomplished by way of a metal-free tabletop, frame and imaging area made from carbon-fiber composite and the use of less padding so as not to interfere with fluoroscopic imaging.

If you're exploring the concept of the integrated surgical suite, in which an OR's technology and equipment are accessible and controlled remotely via a central location such as the nurse documentation station, find out if the tables you're reviewing are compatible with the control systems you're considering.

5. Service
Surgical tables are real workhorses. Once you make the decision on which one to purchase, the chances are good it'll be in your OR for 15 or 20 years. Before you do that, though, make sure you talk with another user who has bought from the manufacturer you're considering about its reputation for and record of customer service. How responsive has the company been after the sale? If a table doesn't work and your OR is down, you're not making money. So be sure to avoid settling for a vendor that makes a sale and then makes itself scarce.

Allen Medical Systems
Allen Spine System
(800) 433-5774
www.allenmedical.com
List price: $38,500
FYI: The Allen Spine System turns any OR table into a spine table, says the company, with an extension for OR tables that offers users the positioning benefits of a Jackson table. It features intraoperative lumbar flex, a small storage footprint and adjustability to fit each individual patient's anatomy.

Biodex Medical Systems
Surgical C-Arm Table 840
(800) 224-6339 x2149
www.biodex.com/c-arm
List price: $34,900
FYI: Biodex's Surgical C-Arm Table 840 features a four-way float top with vertical, lateral roll, Trendelenburg and reverse Trendelenburg motions, says the company. The table has memory for 10 different positions and includes back-to-home and back-to-level keys. A rechargeable battery allows cordless operation all day long, and its tabletop design enables C-arm use during head and neck procedures without crowding out the anesthesia provider.

Nuvo
Volante Series Surgical Tables
(800) 663-1152
www.nuvosurgical.com
List price: $30,000 to $40,000
FYI: Nuvo's Volante Series Surgical Tables include three models: the V1000T and V1000, both of which offer lifting capacities of 1,000 pounds and articulating capabilities of 800 pounds to accommodate bariatric procedures, and the V750, which can lift and articulate 750 pounds. Each model allows full-body imaging and has a 180-degree rotating tabletop, fully-powered sections and a pressure-reducing mattress in a sleek, streamlined design. Available accessories include orthopedic traction bar assemblies, shoulder chairs, width extenders and patient positioning supports.

Oakworks
CFPM400 Imaging Table
(800) 916-4612
www.oakworks.com
List price: $13,125
FYI: Oakworks' CFPM400 Imaging Table offers 56 inches of unobstructed imaging space, a dynamic height range of 26 inches to 44 inches for easier patient transfers and a weight capacity of 500 pounds, says the company. It can accommodate mobile C-arm and ceiling imaging systems, and its four locking casters offer both mobility and stability. The 22-inch by 84-inch carbon fiber top includes a radiolucent table pad and an integrated headrest that can handle both prone and supine positioning. A bariatric version of the table, rated to 700 pounds, and a fixed height version are scheduled for April availability.

Skytron
Elite 6002 General Purpose Surgical Table
(800) SKYTRON
www.skytron.us
List price: $36,100
FYI: Skytron's Elite 6002 surgical table provides a 600-pound lift and articulation capacity and full-body imaging capability for general purpose procedures, reducing the need for multiple support accessories and making patient set-ups easier, says the company. Additional features include full table functions, 180-degree top rotation, 30-degree patient articulation and a durable, one-touch pendant control.

Stryker Communications
Stryker Vertier Surgical Table
(972) 410-7100
www.stryker.com
List price: $45,000 to $50,000
FYI: Stryker's Vertier Surgical Table combines increased weight capacity and mobility with the versatility of a modular tabletop, says the company. Its 16 inches of slide provide superior imaging access and its 6-section modular tabletop (with each section weighing less than 17 pounds each) can be arranged for different-sized patients and to adapt with emerging technology. The table is compatible with Sidne Voice Activation or the Switchpoint Infinity 2 touch panel.

Surgical Tables
MAX and EconMAX Series Tables
(888) 737-5044
www.surgicaltablesinc.com
List price: MAX Series, $7,000 to $25,000; EconMAX series, $11,900 to $13,250
FYI: Surgical Tables offers five tables that range in ability from fixed-height to five movements. The company describes its MAX series as the "high-end" table, offering as many as five movements. The EconMAX, which offers two or three movements, is described as a value product offering a combination of quality, features and budget pricing.

TransMotion Medical
TM11 Outpatient Surgery Chair Package
(866) 860-8447
www.transmotionmedical.com
List price: $10,000 to $15,000
FYI: TransMotion Medical offers an advanced line of motorized mobile surgical stretcher chairs for demanding outpatient surgery facilities, says the company. Able to easily convert from a transport chair to a surgical stretcher, the TM11 offers variable positioning and allows patients to go from pre-op bays to the procedure to recovery and discharge on a single surface, eliminating transfers.

Trumpf Medical Systems
Jupiter System Table
(888) 474-9359
www.us.trumpf-med.com
List price: not disclosed
FYI: As an alternative to mobile tables, Trumpf's Jupiter System Table provides flexibility and reliability, says the company. Its small base provides imaging and surgical access while supporting up to 800 pounds of patient weight. The tabletop slides, and rotates up to 356 degrees, without restrictions. Specialized modular tabletops, such as radiolucent carbon-fiber models for imaging, can be quickly exchanged in for specialized procedures.

VisionEquip
UFSK 500XLE Mobile Surgery Table
(888) 783-7891
www.visionequip.com
List price: $10,000 to $20,000
FYI: The UFSK 500XLE Mobile Surgery Table converts from a patient transport chair into a stable and versatile surgical table. This feature increases case efficiency by letting patients move from pre-op to the OR to post-op on the same platform, says the company. It also increases staff safety by reducing the risk of back injury, since the low egress provides zero-lift patient entry and exit. Its direct-drive lifting system enables smooth and precise positioning via remote control, and its rechargeable batteries allow for a full day of surgery on a single charge.