Albany Technical College unveils new surgical technology equipment

ALBANY — Surgical technology students at Albany Technical College will now have access to a renovated lab and new equipment, paid for in part by World Class Lab and state bond funding.

Albany Tech President Anthony Parker said the latest equipment would help better prepare students for the surgeries they will perform after graduation. They also come as changes are made to the school’s surgical technology program.

“I personally believe that a culmination of high-quality instruction and instructional labs that approximate the workplace is what is needed to produce or to prepare a skilled graduate for an upgrade each five to seven years,” Parker said. “What you see today is our attempt to keep surgical technology a state-of-the-art program.”

Lori Day, the program chair and an instructor of surgical technology, said the equipment will allow students to work throughout an entire operation.

“This new state-of-the-art lab will give our students real-world experience,” Day said. “The students will be able to practice a surgery from start to finish. They will be able to go into the room and open their supplies. They will be able to scrub (with the) gloves.

“They will be able to set up their sterile field, drape their patient, do the surgery, know how to put on the dressing and break it down.”

The lab includes 23 new pieces of equipment include:

— Amico LED surgical lights, boom, and LCD monitors;

— Amsco surgical tables;

— Schuremed beach chair;

— Schuremed beach chair cart;

— Stryker laparoscopic system;

— Stainless steel infrared scrub cinks;

— GE/Aestiva anesthesia machines;

— Valley Lab ESU bovie machine;

— Wolf X-Ray viewing box;

— Mac Medical supply cabinets;

— Mac Medical warming cabinet;

— Mock Medical vascular instrument set;

— Mock Medical eye instrument set;

— Mock Medical neurology instrument set;

— Orthopedic 1 instrument set;

— Orthopedic 2 instrument set;

— Minor bone instrument set;

— Instrument display board;

— Amsco sterilizer;

— Amsco/Reliance 444 washer sterilizer;

— Steris system scope washer;

— Mac Medical processing sink;

— Mac Medical pack and wrap station.

Gloriana Cruz, a recent graduate of the surgical technology diploma program, said she feels good about what the students coming after her will be able to learn from the equipment.

“These students are definitely going to know a lot more than we did, especially with the laparoscopics,” Cruz said. “They’ll be so advanced that when they go into the (operating room), it’s going to be a piece of cake for them.”

A news release from Albany Tech said the college is phasing out its surgical technology diploma program to replace it with the Associate of Applied Science, Surgical Technology degree. Albany Tech will accept its first degree-level students in the Summer 2019 semester to complete the prerequisite courses and enter into the surgical technology occupational courses during the Spring 2020 semester.