Northwestern Medical Center is continuing to pause some surgical procedures at the start of next week (August 25-29). We have made good progress in addressing the problem with particulates found in sterilized surgical trays, and will take several more days to test new processes before re-starting surgeries in an incremental approach.

Background

NMC had been finding very small particulates in some surgical trays intermittently over the past 3-4 months. In recent weeks, we saw an uptick in occurrences of the problem, leading to the decision to pause surgical operations.

Our Surgical Services team identifies these issues as they are preparing for surgery during standard safety checks. This isn’t an issue of sterility with the surgical trays or instruments. Our routinely-applied tests, which are aligned with nationally established standards, show that the trays are properly sterilized. The increased findings led to operational challenges as we dealt with increased case-by-case cancellations.

Out of an abundance of caution, we paused elective surgeries to investigate the issue thoroughly. Once we are confident we have isolated and resolved the issue, we will resume scheduling surgeries.

We are sorry for this inconvenience and are working very hard to resolve the situation as quickly as we can – we know this is really hard for patients.

 

What are we doing?

The week of August 25, NMC installed, tested and began operation of a reverse osmosis deionization system to increase the purification of the water used in Central Sterile equipment cleaning processes.

We continue collaborating with the Steris company, with some of their consulting staff onsite to provide valuable, in person support. Steris has national expertise in manufacturing and servicing surgical equipment, and also provide training and support on best practice at hospitals across the country. Steris has assured us that we are not the only hospital that has dealt with this issue.

Finding a solution takes time. We are looking at each step in the process to isolate the source of the issue and find the right solution. Just a few examples of the work underway include:

• Reviewing and analyzing every aspect of the work environment.
• Investing in new equipment and resources.
• Developing additional training resources for staff.

 

Should community members be concerned?

Community members do not need to be concerned and can take comfort in knowing that NMC is prioritizing safety and high-quality care.

All surgeries have been performed using the highest quality standards. When particulates have been identified, those trays/containers have not been used.

 

We will be in touch!

Anyone whose procedure may be impacted in the future will be notified by a member of our Surgical Services team. We apologize for the disruption felt by those re-scheduled for surgery as we work toward resolution.

We will bring surgeries back online when we are confident that the solution has been fully implemented and the problem will not recur.