Design and preliminary experience of a transportable equine operating theatre.

The study presents the design and preliminary usage of a transportable equine operating theatre. This project was undertaken to solve the scarcity of surgical facilities for horses, particularly in locations where their activities pose high risks.

Design Methodology

• The starting point of the project was conceptualisation, creating a blueprint for a mobile equine surgical unit that could be easily moved around by road.
• Converting the idea into reality, a modular operating suite was designed specifically for horses. This suite included a theatre, scrub room, instrument preparation and storage room, and an anaesthetic induction/recovery box. All these were incorporated into a Transportable Equine Operating Theatre (TEOT).
• The TEOT was not simply a singular structure but rather an ensemble of standard 20×8 feet steel shipping containers suitably modified. Specific sections were removed so the containers could be joined together and create a large unified internal space.
• Internal subdivision created separate yet interconnected working areas for various functions from anaesthesia to surgery.

The Anaesthetic Induction/Recovery Box

• Particular attention was paid to design the anaesthetic induction/recovery box. This structure was conceived as a modular steel frame that could be conveniently disassembled during transport.
• All the parts of the box fit comfortably onto a standard lorry bed, making roadmap transportation easy.

Equipment and Test Runs

• The TEOT was not a stripped-down version of a permanent facility but intended to incorporate all the equipment one would expect to find in a high-quality horse surgical facility.
• Surgical procedures were carried out on adult Thoroughbred horses in both units of TEOT, proving the units’ functionality and operational feasibility.

Results and Conclusion

• The units have seen limited use so far, resulting in very little data about their performance.
• Notwithstanding the dearth of empirical data, the TEOT shows promise. This movable equine surgical facility could be a solution to the glaring infrequency of equine operating theatres by offering a setup that’s easily assembled, disassembled and transported to different locations as needed.