The New Brunswick government has spent more than $200,000 on a new operating table for patients needing orthopedic surgery.

The state-of-the-art surgical table at the Dr. Everett Chalmers Hospital in Fredericton will make it easier for doctors to perform complex procedures.

The new modular operating system was unveiled Thursday at the hospital, replacing one that was about 20 years old.

The system comes with three interchangeable tables designed for special procedures such as hip replacements and back operations.

Dr. Philip Burton, an orthopedic surgeon, said the new surgical table modular system has an attachment that looks like a highly polished black ski boot designed to keep a patient's leg immobile during hip surgery.

Depending on what kind of operation is being performed, he said, the device can be tilted and turned to the best angle.

"This table gives us a little more flexibility in terms of positioning the patient and having access to X-ray images, and it's another level up in terms of patient comfort and safety," Burton said. "The safety issue was the biggest one, and that's why we were pushing so hard to get this."

The table for imaging is carbon fibre rather than metal, which allows X-rays to be taken, he said, and this will offer specialized help to many patients.

"Probably in the range of 300 or 400 fracture cases a year would use this table," Burton said.

The new system will also cut down on pressure sores during surgery, he said.