Sudbury Regional Hospital cancelled about 40 elective surgeries May 20 after a mechanical malfunction temporarily rendered the hospital unable to sterilize medical instruments.
Hospital spokesperson Sean Barrette said there was a mechanical issue with the hospital's boiler system, which affected steam coming out of the boiler. This steam is needed to operate the sterilization equipment.
“What was happening was there were water droplets on the instruments that were coming out of the sterilizer,” Barrette said. “When you see that, you can't use those instruments anymore.”
He said the hospital does two quality control checks on every batch of instruments coming out of the sterilizer, and the issue was quickly noticed. No improperly sterilized instruments were used on patients, Barrette said.
The mechanical problem with the boiler was fixed, and the sterilizer was back in use May 21.
While the hospital cancelled elective surgeries May 20, it had enough sterilized equipment on hand to perform emergency surgeries, Barrette said.
“We also received assistance from various places,” he said.
“For example, Barr Plastic Surgery stepped up to say 'If you need any instruments sterilized, we can help you with that.'
“We also enacted a contingency that we had with North Bay General Hospital and West Nipissing General Hospital (in Sturgeon Falls) to use their sterilizers. We could ship instruments there and have them sent back very quickly.”
While no patients were sent out of town for surgeries because of the issue, Barrette said the hospital did ask the province's air ambulance system to send people from other parts of northeastern Ontario needing emergency surgeries to other hospitals.
The hospital will try to perform the surgeries that were cancelled May 20 as soon as possible, Barrette said. Surgeries which have to be re-scheduled are usually performed within a few weeks, he said.
“We are very sorry (this happened), but unless we can operate safely on a patient, then we will not do so,” he said. “We will re-schedule those surgeries for the earliest date possible. We regret any discomfort this has caused patients.”
Bill Swech of Garson wrote Northern Life an e-mail about the issue May 23, saying he was one of those who had his operation cancelled May 20.
Rather than spending money to “re-brand” its corporate identity, the hospital should look at a backup system for sterilizing medical instruments, Swech said in his letter.
“Get your priorities straight before thinking of changing the name of the hospital or advertising for it,” he said. “You can't even show us, the people of the City of Greater Sudbury, you can keep this hospital running.”