# Minneapolis VA shuts down surgeries over unidentified substance



## Ooh-Rah (Sep 23, 2015)

Just an FYI incase anyone has anything happening in my neck of the woods...

http://www.startribune.com/minneapo...s-found-in-sterilization-equipment/328878601/

_The Minneapolis Veterans Affairs Medical Center has been forced to postpone and reschedule dozens of surgical procedures through the end of the week after “an unidentified substance” was found in sterilizing equipment Wednesday.

Until the substance is identified and the equipment cleaned, inspected and certified, the Minneapolis VA has rescheduled most surgeries for the remainder of the week, the hospital said in a statement._


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## Ranger Psych (Sep 23, 2015)

That would be known as "Patients".


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## Red Flag 1 (Sep 24, 2015)

That is scary stuff, but you have to give big hand to that VA facility for: 1. Monitoring their surgical sterilizing equipment; and 2. Making the right call to shut down surgery. Shutting down the entire surgical suite has a massive impact on such a facility. There is no way, at this point, to say what the cause is. During the last few months of my Residency, we had confirmed that someone was sabatoging equipment in Surgery. Nothing to the level of shutting down surgery, but equipment had been damaged, and nearly all of the electrocautery wires and hand pieces had been cut while awaiting sterilization. To my knowledge, a suspect had never been named. I applaude the Minneapolis VA for its proactive monitoring, and for making the right call after the findings of it's internal monitoring program.


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## Gunz (Sep 24, 2015)

I have to wait until January for hip replacement surgery at the Tampa VA. So I have lots of time to think about it. It doesn't help that my wife keeps telling me how the blood sprays all over the OR when they use the bone saw......I just hope they are as diligent in Tampa as they are in Minneapolis.


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## Red Flag 1 (Sep 24, 2015)

Ocoka One said:


> I have to wait until January for hip replacement surgery at the Tampa VA. So I have lots of time to think about it. It doesn't help that my wife keeps telling me how the blood sprays all over the OR when they use the bone saw......I just hope they are as diligent in Tampa as they are in Minneapolis.



I've been at the head of the table for plenty of hips, replacements and repairs. I can't say that I've seen blood "spraying " all that much. One of the things that the Anesthesia folks do, is to run patient blood pressures on the low side. With lower blood pressure, the blood loss is lower. One of my goals was to get the patient through surgery and the Post Anesthesia Care Unit(PACU) without having to use blood transfusions. For the most part using deliberate hypotension worked about 85-90% of the time. Patients who had severe hypertension would present a challenge, as would folks using NSAIDS, and OTC herbal supplements.  would bleed more than others.  Patients that I was able to see well in advance of surgery, I would ask them to stop the Motrin, Ginkolba, and all herbal supplements. Those who did not, generally had higher blood loss in surgery, and nearly all had replacement blood running before making it to the PACU.

Best of luck with your hip replacement. If you have any questions, shoot me a pm.


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## Gunz (Sep 25, 2015)

Thanks, Doc.  Darn that woman.


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## RetPara (Sep 28, 2015)

Thank you for the mental images that encourage me to put off knee replacement surgery say.. another 20-30 years.....


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## Red Flag 1 (Sep 28, 2015)

RetPara said:


> Thank you for the mental images that encourage me to put off knee replacement surgery say.. another 20-30 years.....



Knee surgery has the benefit of using a tourniquet during surgery, leaving us with a nearly bloodless field. With knee replacement surgery, you will know when the time is right; pain being a big part. Keep in mind, that advancing age brings increased problems with it. Things like added weight, loss of muscle tone, high blood pressure, increades healing times, longer post-operative rehab time, to name a few. Send me a pm if I can be of any help.


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## Gunz (Sep 30, 2015)

RetPara said:


> Thank you for the mental images that encourage me to put off knee replacement surgery say.. another 20-30 years.....


 
The Doc who's going to perform my hip surgery can't do it before January because he has to get a knee replacement. :wall: I'd like to take credit for the imagery but my wife conjured it. She says the OR staff has to wear faceshields--like in the shop-- because of all the blood spurting around.


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## Red Flag 1 (Sep 30, 2015)

Ocoka One said:


> The Doc who's going to perform my hip surgery can't do it before January because he has to get a knee replacement. :wall: I'd like to take credit for the imagery but my wife conjured it. She says the OR staff has to wear faceshields--like in the shop-- because of all the blood spurting around.



This varies from facility to facility, and among surgeons. There are times when it is a good idea for full face shields. At other times, not so much. If I were on the knife side of the "ether screen", I would elect to opt on the side of caution and use the full face shield. Don't read too much into this.  The blood comes from the compressed air powered saws as they cut into bone. The blood does NOT come from blood vessels left unattended and "spurting" about like an unmanned fire hose. Blood loss is a serious issue during any surgical undertakingw. Surgeons go to great lenghts to reduce surgical blood loss. I hate it when people bring home horror stories from surgery, the and dental procedures. All it does is scare people who are already worried enough. I find the telling of stories outside of surgey to be unprofessional, unnecessary, misleading and simply uncalled for, how about we give this issue a rest. These tales really do scare folks and paints a a picture of surgery that is vastly inaccurate. Remember, I've BTDT.

End of rant.


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## Gunz (Sep 30, 2015)

Red Flag 1 said:


> This varies from facility to facility, and omong surgeons. There are tims when it is a good idea for full face shields. At other times, not so much. If I were on the knife side of the "ether screen", I would elect to opt on the side of caution and use the full face shield. Don't read too much into this.


 
I'd be right there with you, at the face shield-issue counter. 

In truth I have nothing but the highest praise for the VA and for the other military medical facilities where I had treatment. Military docs saved my left foot and my right eye. They, along with my Corpsman, are Sacred Beings. Let the blood spray...I'll be sleeping through it.


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## Red Flag 1 (Sep 30, 2015)

[


Ocoka One said:


> I'd be right there with you, at the face shield-issue counter.
> 
> In truth I have nothing but the highest praise for the VA and for the other military medical facilities where I had treatment. Military docs saved my left foot and my right eye. They, along with my Corpsman, are Sacred Beings. Let the blood spray, let the guts flow...I'll be sleeping through it...and when I wake maybe, just maybe, this fuckin bone-on-bone pain will be gone.



Take good care of your self, amigo .


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