Operation Room Design

• Operation Room


  Facilities within the hospital where surgical operations are carried out in an aseptic environment
• Aseptic


  A condition in which contamination with living micro-organisms is reduced to a minimum
• Antisepsis


  A process where transient pathogens are destroyed
• Siting of operation room


  • Should be in a cul-de-sac position of the hospital, preferably on a storey
  • Not close to an incinerator or refuse dump
  • Away from heavily trafficked parts of the hospital
  • Easy access to ICU/HDU and emergency ward
  • Provision for operation room expansion during planning
  • Provision for emergency exit
  • Provision for ventilation and temperature control
• Types of operation rooms


  • Based on sterility: ultra-sterile, sterile, septic
  • Based on time: emergency, routine/elective
  • Based on construction: traditional, conventional, modular
  • Others: hybrid, integrated, digital
• Components of an operation room


  • Changing room
  • Scrub room
  • Storage room
  • Operation room
  • Anaesthesia room
  • Recovery room
  • Sterilization room
• Scrub room


  • 2-door room leading to theatre corridor and sinks/taps automatically manipulated or by infrared detector
  • Soap holders manipulated by foot pedal or elbow
  • Anti-slip, anti-static floor
• Operation room


  • Double door entrance from anaesthesia room
  • 2 small doors from clean store room and single exit to dirty corridor for removal of drapes, waste products
  • All doors sealed to comply with ventilation system
  • Operating table adjustable with all parts sealed and cushion easily cleaned and repaired
  • Operating light adjustable, easily cleaned and re-adjusted by team
  • Fixed surfaces to prevent reliance on steel trolleys
  • Should not be over-equipped, with non-functioning parts removed
• Zones in operation theatre

  • Sterile zone: scrub area, gowning area, anaesthesia area, operating room
  • Clean zone: sterilization area, store area, pre-operative area, recovery area, staff/doctor's room
  • Protective area: changing area, reception area, waiting area, trolley bay
  • Disposal zone: dirty utility area, disposal corridor
• Requirements in an operating theatre


  • Central AC: 20-22°C
  • Humidity: 50-60%
  • Positive pressure ventilation
  • General lighting: cold & distributed
  • Laminar air flow through diffuser
  • Operating light: sealed, mounted, shadowless, focusable beam
  • Medical gas pipeline for oxygen supply
  • Uninterrupted power supply
  • Fire safety: detectors, extinguishers
  • Power switches away from operating area