Operating Table Accessories: How to Specify the Right Package

The core accessory groups

Most surgical table accessories fall into a handful of groups. Patient support accessories include arm boards, leg and foot plates, side supports and body straps. Head and neck accessories include headrests and head fixation systems. Mounting hardware includes clamps and rail adaptors. Procedure-specific items include stirrups, traction devices and positioning aids for orthopaedic, spine, urological or gynaecological work.

Start by listing the procedures you run and the accessories each one needs. Then separate what must be supplied with the table from what can be added later. A table can be sold with accessories, but the accessory list on the quotation should be explicit.

Side rails and connection systems

Accessories attach to the table through side rails, so rail standard is the first compatibility question. The Lojer Practico Manual, for instance, offers Euro, UK and US side rails, which helps when a hospital already owns accessories of one standard. The Grand Promerix uses the Fluent Lock system, which connects accessories with one click and saves set-up time.

Ask whether the rail profile accepts your existing clamps, whether the accessory has a locking indicator and what load the connection is rated for. A poor connection becomes a safety risk when the limb is heavy or in traction.

• Rail standard offered: Euro, UK, US or proprietary
• Quick-connect system and how securely it locks
• Rated load of each accessory and of its connection
• Whether clamps can be moved without tools

Arm boards, leg plates and positioning aids

Arm boards and arm supports hold the limb at the right angle for lines and monitoring. Check the range of movement, the padding and whether the board is radiolucent when imaging is needed. For leg and foot plates, ask how they attach and how they can be lowered or removed for lithotomy or orthopaedic positioning. The Smarter Practico is an electric table with a wide range of posture possibilities, and its accessory choices determine how many of them you can use in practice.

For more on arm supports see arm boards and for lithotomy see leg holders and stirrups.

Headrests and head fixation

A basic headrest supports the head during general surgery, while neurosurgical and spinal work often needs rigid head fixation. The DORO LUCENT Headrest System combines a completely metal-free skull clamp, a radiolucent swivel adaptor and a base unit for intraoperative CT and X-ray imaging. Its slim side parts let it attach securely to almost all OR table side-rail types, and retractor systems and navigation tracking devices can be mounted on its Quick-Rail. See the DORO LUCENT Headrest System for details.

Confirm that any head fixation system you choose has an approved adaptor for your table model.

Storage, cleaning and ordering

Accessories need somewhere to live. Plan trolleys or wall storage so that they are cleaned, stored and returned to the theatre in a controlled way. An accessory trolley keeps the most used items together and reduces the time spent looking for parts before a case.

Check cleaning instructions, which disinfectants each accessory tolerates, and spare part availability. When ready to specify a package, request a consultation from Beckfinity and our specialists will draft an accessory list for your table models.

Common mistakes when ordering accessories

The usual error is buying the table first and the accessories later, only to find that the rail standard differs. Another is assuming that an accessory shown in a brochure is included in the price. A third is ignoring the weight of the limb or patient when choosing arm and leg supports.

A short compatibility matrix, listing each procedure, the accessories it needs and the table model they attach to, avoids all three and gives your biomedical engineer a document to check at delivery.