The same day the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment released its disease control investigation at Denver-based Porter Adventist Hospital, a spine surgeon stopped surgery mid-procedure due to allegedly dirty equipment, according to 9 News.
Here are five insights.
1. A 61-year-old patient came to Porter Adventist Hospital April 4 to undergo a transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion, an intensive surgery that lasts around four to five hours.
However, a few hours into the surgery time, the patient woke up to discover the procedure had not been completed.
2. The patient's medical records indicated the surgeon aborted the surgery after allegedly noticing contaminants on various instruments. Surgical staff also reported a "brown-yellowish" substance on one of the instruments.
3. The CDPHE's report has similar findings to the issue this patient experienced. The investigation found instruments used in orthopedic and spine surgeries were allegedly not sterilized properly.
The hospital notified patients between the summer of 2016 to April 5, to get tested for hepatitis and HIV.
4. After the investigation, Porter Adventist voluntarily suspended all surgeries. The hospital has since issued a statement saying the sterilization standards have been fixed and surgeries are resuming.
5. The 61-year-old patient underwent an HIV test that came back negative and will be tested for hepatitis soon. The surgeon and the patient decided to go to another hospital to finish the surgery, and the patient is now recovering.