Balgrist University Hospital has opened OR-X (Operating Room X), its new surgical research and teaching center. In attendance at the opening were guests from the world of politics, healthcare, industry and medicine. At the heart of the OR-X are the fully-equipped operating room and a Skills Lab, which offers an ideal environment for developing surgical innovations and training the surgeons of tomorrow. As the strategic infrastructure of University Medicine Zurich (UMZH), the OR-X supports academic research and plays a critical role in the further development of healthcare in the Zurich region.
On 24 and 25 August, Balgrist University Hospital celebrated the opening of its tenth operating room (Operating Room X, in short: OR-X). Over 250 invited guests took the opportunity to visit the room with its modern technical equipment and listen to the speeches from Rita Fuhrer, President of the Balgrist Association, Mazda Farshad and Thomas Huggler, the Hospital Directors, Martin Hirzel, President of Swissmem, and Philipp Fürnstahl, one of the OR-X co-founders.
Yet patients will never see the new OR-X. It is a national research infrastructure and the surgical teaching and research center at Balgrist University Hospital. It combines a realistic infrastructure with the latest technology and is accessible to national and international experts. The heart of OR-X is a fully-equipped operating room that was designed for the surgical research and training of tomorrow. It’s a place where new technologies are developed, experienced surgeons receive further training and future surgeons are trained.
The X not only stands for the number 10, but also the great potential that this digitalized research infrastructure offers. Teaching is performed without any direct contact to patients and using 3D-printed models, simulators and human preparations. The direct integration into a clinic and the connection to the existing research environment is unique. The technical highlights include intraoperative artificial intelligence (AI), navigation systems, operating robots and applications supported by augmented reality (AR).
With its six surgical workstations, the Skills Lab provides the perfect conditions for conducting training and larger research experiments with several participants.
Contact for further information:
Prof. Dr. med. Mazda Farshad, Medical Director, Balgrist University Hospital
via Corporate Communication
Tel +41 44 386 14 15
E-Mail