In an Oklahoma City operating room, the surgeon of the future wears a headset equipped with a microphone. He rattles off rapid-fire commands to a computer. Instead of operating staff performing the work, a “robo-doc” does it.

“Hermes!” says Chris Carey, M.D., addressing a computer system. “Table ... move ... flex.”

Instantly, the operating table tilts to adjust to Carey’s command.

Welcome to the operating room of the future.

While most Americans wait for “Jetsons” technology to appear in their lives, doctors at INTEGRIS are already putting such “gee-whiz” devices to use. Consistently named one of America’s “most wired” health care systems, the Oklahoma-based company has already equipped doctors with palm devices for making patient rounds, established telemedicine links across the Sooner state and provided Internet access in patients’ rooms.

The new Hermes system is the latest addition to this high-tech repertoire. Based at INTEGRIS Southwest Medical Center, the new system helps human surgeons perform complex surgeries faster and more safely.

Carey says the voice-activated system allows him to be like the conductor of a symphony.

“It allows the surge on to literally command every facet of this,” Carey says. “It’s more efficient. It’s better for patient care. It has all the advantages we need.”

The room is an endoscopic surgery suite. Endoscopic surgery uses a scope equipped with a small camera. Doctors place the scope inside the body, and use it to diagnose and treat a variety of problems with knees and joints, the colon, hernia, gall bladder, stomach and some cancer problems.

Wearing a headset, Carey can use Hermes to make changes to the surgery setup within seconds, whether it’s focusing the scope or moving the operating table into precise positions. For the operating room staff – the nurses and others – the system offers speed and efficiency. The surgery room also features ceiling-mounted booms and monitors, keeping the floor clutter-free.

“It’s a clean link from the surgeon’s thought process to the operation of the equipment,” says Catherine Richards, surgery director at INTEGRIS Southwest. “That’s the strangest thing, to get used to machines that act and talk like real people.”

Personnel can even make compact discs of surgical images for patients using the new system. And the surgical room offers state-of-the-art teleconferencing capabilities, meaning doctors from around the world can watch surgeries using the new system.

INTEGRIS Health 3300 N.W. Expressway, Oklahoma City, OK 73112 (405) 949-3011 | HealthLine: (888) 951-2277