Patients in Abbotsford and surrounding Fraser Valley communities are expected to gain greater access to advanced vascular and minimally invasive procedures through a new hybrid operating room planned for Abbotsford Regional Hospital and Cancer Centre.
The project, backed by an estimated $11-million investment from the British Columbia government, will combine a conventional surgical suite with advanced medical imaging technology. Construction is expected to begin in 2027, with the facility anticipated to start serving patients by the end of 2028.
Hybrid Operating Room to Expand Specialized Surgical Care
The new facility will be the first hybrid operating room at Abbotsford Regional Hospital and Cancer Centre. By integrating surgical capabilities with real-time medical imaging, the room will allow health-care teams to carry out complex, image-guided procedures with greater precision.
The technology enables physicians to guide needles, wires and catheters through small incisions and blood vessels, reducing the need for more invasive forms of surgery in appropriate cases.
“Families across Abbotsford and the Fraser Valley deserve access to the best care when they need it,” said Ravi Kahlon, Minister of Health. “This new hybrid operating room will give health care teams advanced tools to treat complex conditions with greater precision and less invasive procedures. I am excited to see this investment bring much needed specialized care to our community, while helping patients recover sooner and spend less time in hospital.”
Advanced Imaging to Support Vascular Procedures
The hybrid operating room is expected to support procedures including angioplasty, which is used to open narrowed or blocked arteries, as well as endovascular aneurysm repair and thrombectomy procedures to remove acute blood clots.
Combining imaging equipment and surgical capabilities in the same environment is intended to give medical teams access to real-time information throughout procedures while allowing them to respond to complex cases without moving patients between separate clinical spaces.
“The new hybrid operating room represents a significant investment in how we deliver specialized surgical care to people in Abbotsford and surrounding communities,” said Dermot Kelly, President and CEO, Fraser Health. “By combining advanced technology with surgical expertise, we can provide a streamlined, improved care experience in an environment that better supports the people who provide that care.”
Shorter Hospital Stays Expected for Many Patients
According to information provided with the project announcement, image-guided procedures can reduce recovery periods, complications and hospital stays compared with traditional surgical approaches.
Most patients undergoing applicable procedures could return home within 24 hours or less, compared with hospital stays ranging from three to 10 days following some traditional surgeries.
The technology is also expected to reduce radiation exposure during certain vascular procedures compared with older mobile imaging equipment.
“The hybrid operating room will bring Abbotsford Regional Hospital and Cancer Centre to the forefront of vascular surgical care, expanding our capabilities and improving the experience for patients and providers,” said Dr. Husain Khambati, Co-Regional Head, Vascular Surgery. “Advanced imaging allows us to perform endovascular interventions with less radiation than older mobile C-arm fluoroscopy units by utilizing the latest generation of CT-mapping and bolus-chase technologies.”
Project Expected to Support Recruitment and Retention
Beyond expanding surgical capacity, the provincial investment is expected to help Abbotsford Regional Hospital and Cancer Centre recruit and retain specialized physicians. Access to modern surgical and imaging infrastructure can support teams providing increasingly complex vascular and minimally invasive care in the Fraser Valley.
The project is part of efforts to strengthen specialized hospital services closer to where patients live, potentially reducing the need for some residents to travel elsewhere for advanced procedures.
Fraser Health provides hospital and community-based services through a workforce of more than 50,000 staff, medical staff and volunteers. The health authority serves communities across the traditional, ancestral and unceded lands of the Coast Salish and Nlaka’pamux Nations, including 32 First Nations within the Fraser Salish region.
With construction scheduled to start in 2027, the new hybrid operating room is anticipated to begin treating patients by the end of 2028, adding advanced vascular surgical capacity to Abbotsford and the broader Fraser Valley.