A C-arm tables may seem like a quick and easy add-on after purchasing the best pain management C-arm, but don't be fooled- your table is no mere accessory. Having the right C-arm table plays a big part in establishing efficient workflow in your OR. To help you find that perfect fit, here are three things we encourage every buyer to look for when seeking out a C-arm table for pain management procedures.
Number of Movements
Ease of positioning can improve workflow and the overall efficiency and speed of a practice. We don't recommend sacrificing in this aspect of your table. Most pain docs we work with prefer a minimum of two movements on their table. The elevation and lateral tilt movements are usually sufficient for most pain procedure positioning. Individual preferences may lead a doctor to choose a table with three movements, but there's seldom a need to spend into the "float-top" table range.
Weight Limit
400-500 lbs is now the standard on most new C-arm tables. As the weight of the average patient trends upward, having a table that can accommodate outliers at the top is worth considering. There are table options out there with limits up to 1,000 lbs. While the likelihood of ever testing this limit is quite low, it pays to assess your needs for serving bariatric patients.
Support and Accessories
It’s possible you may be considering buying a used table. The few thousand dollars you save could be a huge help, but I’d also warn you to make sure the manufacturer is still supporting those tables. We’ve run into many situations where even simple parts are unavailable and the table is rendered unusable after just one maintenance issue.
It's also important to double-check a table's compatibility with accessories like arm boards or surgery positioning packages. If a manufacturer is no longer supporting a particular model, you can't assume that the accessories from subsequent models will be backwards-compatible.
The Takeaway
When it comes to tables for pain management practitioners, there's a general "sweet spot" for functionality, cost, and ownership experience. Individual needs and preferences may vary but, in our experience working with hundreds of buyers, that sweet spot is most often a new, two-movement (elevation and lateral tilt) table with a 500-lb. weight limit.
If you'd like to know more about C-arm tables, our team is ready to help. Use the button below to tell us your needs, ask questions, and get price quotes.
Chris Sharrock
Chris Sharrock is the Vice President of Healthcare Solutions at Block Imaging. Each day Chris sets out to provide the best equipment, parts, and service solutions for healthcare facilities across the world. Outside of work Chris enjoys playing in a band, and spending time at the lake with his family.