Dr. Ghafoori, M.D. - Facilities

Harlingen Facility :

This state-of-the-art, in-office surgical facility provides the highest level of privacy and confidentiality. The facility is accredited by AAAASF (one of the three primary accreditation organizations). A wide range of anesthesia options are provided by a dedicated CRNA. The operating suite was carefully designed and engineered to be on par with hospital quality.

The operating room is spacious and fully equipped. Hospital grade overhead surgical lights provide intense and focused illumination of the surgical site. The hospital grade general anesthesia machine is regularly serviced every three to four months. Multiple monitors, also regularly serviced, are utilized throughout the surgical procedure monitoring all critical functions, as well as various gas levels.

The recovery room is fully equipped and includes all of the necessary resuscitative equipment and drugs.

The dedicated air conditioning (compressor) system was engineered by a specialist in Houston, Texas. Positive pressure, to force air outward and to prevent outside air drawing in, is present in all sterile areas. Negative pressure is present in the areas considered to be "contaminated." The air to be cooled is "super-cooled," and then heated to the desired temperature, and the humidity is strictly controlled. The number of exchanges of the air per hour is also strictly controlled, and the air is not "recycled" as in regular residential and commercial air-conditioning. The duct work has been custom made from sheet metal, and the location of the ducts and return vents have been carefully placed to provide more "laminar" flow to minimize stirring of the air. Special filters are used and changed monthly. A UV light system is also in place to kill bacteria at the coil.

The water system used for "scrubbing" prior to surgery and for sterilizing the instruments is specially filtered and is also equipped with a UV light system. Instruments are sterilized in a full hospital-grade wall sterilizing unit, and a special "spore test," to verify sterilization, is performed with each weekly run. Suction in all areas of the operating suite is provided by a piped system and pump with the capacity to provide continuous service to a small hospital. Emergency power to the entire facility is ensured by a 75-gallon diesel generator so there will be no interruption of your surgical procedure during a power outage.