Northwestern Medicine Kishwaukee Hospital Prepares for $15 Million Surgery Renovation

DEKALB, Ill. -  Northwestern Medicine Kishwaukee Hospital will soon begin a $15 million renovation of its surgical suite. The 19,000-square-foot area has not had a major remodel since the new hospital building opened in 2007. Additionally, the hospital has upgraded to the latest-generation surgical robot, the da Vinci Xi, to offer a wider variety of minimally invasive procedures.

“With the new layout and a little more space, we have room for two additional Same Day Surgery bays, which we need to continue growing surgical services offered at Kishwaukee Hospital,” said JoAnn Ricketts, MSN, director of Surgical Services and Interventional Labs at Kishwaukee Hospital. “The renovation will improve workflow and efficiency, and enhance the environment for our staff and patients.”

Operating rooms and sterile processing areas will remain as is; all other areas are being refreshed and upgraded. The new floor plan will include:

• Seven Post-anesthesia Care Unit (PACU) bays
• Two new flex bays (rooms that can be used for PACU or Same Day Surgery)
• 25 Same Day Surgery bays
• Two endovascular procedure rooms with shared scope reprocessing space
• Renovated waiting room and reception area
• New team areas
• Updated staff break rooms and locker rooms

For patient privacy and comfort, all Same Day Surgery bays will become private rooms, with breakaway sliding glass entry doors. Other improvements include new boom technology and surgical lighting in the endovascular procedure rooms, and all new, state-of-the-art scope reprocessing equipment and scope drying cabinets. The area will get new furniture throughout.

“Our team is passionate about providing the highest-quality outcomes and best patient experience,” said Sarah Snyder, RN, manager of Surgical Services at Kishwaukee Hospital. “This renovation will create a more optimal space to provide exceptional care.”

Preparation work is underway, and construction is scheduled to begin in December. To keep the surgery suite open and operational during construction, the project will be done in four phases. The expected completion date is September 2024.

Kishwaukee Hospital has made an additional investment to upgrade technology within the robotic-assisted operating suite. The da Vinci Xi Surgical System, the latest generation of surgical robots, expands surgeons’ capabilities to perform minimally invasive surgery for even the most complicated scenarios. Surgeons sit at a nearby console to view 3D images of the surgical site and manipulate the arms of the robotic instruments inside the body. The tiny robotic arms allow surgeons to make smaller incisions with greater precision, typically resulting in less pain and less blood loss for the patient.

“The new robot has thinner robotic arms and joints, an improved camera, and is attached to a rotating operating table, which will allow for smaller incisions with more precision,” said Ricardo Soares, MD, urologist and robotic surgeon at Kishwaukee Hospital. “This upgrade will keep us up to date on the most cutting-edge technology.”

Currently, a surgical robot is used for prostate, kidney, bladder and gynecological surgeries at Kishwaukee Hospital. With the new technology, additional robotic-assisted general surgeries will be possible, including hernia repair and bowel resections.

The da Vinci Xi is also available at seven other Northwestern Medicine locations: Northwestern Memorial Hospital, Northwestern Medicine Delnor Hospital, Northwestern Medicine McHenry Hospital, Northwestern Medicine Palos Hospital, Northwestern Medicine Lake Forest Hospital, Northwestern Medicine Central DuPage Hospital and Northwestern Medicine Grayslake Outpatient Center.