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Some elective surgeries in Grande Prairie, Alta., have been postponed due to issues related to the sterilization of surgical tools.
Emergency surgeries, including C-sections, cancer- and trauma-related procedures, are still available and are not being delayed, according to a news release from Alberta Health Services on Monday.
AHS said the decision to postpone some elective surgeries at Grande Prairie Regional Hospital was made in the interest of public safety and to ensure the hospital is able to continue its emergency surgeries.
AHS did not provide details about the sterilization concern other than to say it relates to “a medical device reprocessing (MDR) issue,” and that the hospital will resume regular surgical operations “as surgical instrument reprocessing is restored, including any necessary repairs to MDR equipment or systems, and it has been demonstrated to be safe to do so.”
The hospital will only use surgical instruments that are cleaned in Edmonton until the issue is resolved, the health authority said.
AHS said it expects elective surgeries to resume early this week, and any postponed surgeries to be rescheduled as soon as possible.
“We regret any inconvenience this may cause for patients and their families and are working with them directly to reschedule their procedure as soon as possible,” AHS said.
The health authority said the emergency department at the Grande Prairie hospital remains open and no other health-care operations have been impacted.