Introducing the different types of operating table
Generally, the type of table a surgical team chooses depends on the type of surgery; therefore, there are several different types of tables. Within each group of table styles there is a variation depending on each manufacturer's designs and innovations. For example, surgeons use fracture tables while setting broken bones or performing other orthopedic surgeries, and there are several different styles of fracture tables. There are other specialty tables, such as pediatrics tables for smaller patients and bariatric surgery tables for larger people.
As modern surgical procedures have evolved, the types of operating tables that surgeons use have changed. Although many surgeons use standard tables, specialty tables are becoming more popular. These tables often have radio translucent materials for the tabletop so that the staff can use imaging equipment. Most surgeons use an operating table that allows them to use a C-arm imager, which standard tables cannot accommodate. Other features that allow imaging equipment use during surgery include interchangeable head and foot sections and sliding tabletops.
Changing surgical procedures are not the only considerations that operating table manufacturers need to take into account. As the population has changed, designers have designed new operating tables to accommodate the changes. One of the most obvious changes is that the average patient is heavier than his or her ancestors. Bariatric tables have several advantages over the standard table, including the ability to hold heavier patients.
