The Rocky View Hospital is undergoing some urgent repairs and upgrades to the sterile medical device and instrument reprocessing area causing 200 non-urgent and elective surgeries to rescheduled.

All emergency and urgent surgeries will continue, as well as cancer-related procedures.

The equipment repair and upgrading will affect procedures originally scheduled between October 23 to November 2, and November 17 to the 29.

"We know postponing procedures can be stressful to patients and their loved ones, and we apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. However, these postponements are necessary to ensure patient safety," says Dr. Sid Viner, Calgary Zone Medical Director. "When equipment malfunctions occur we have to take all possible measures to address the situation and lessen the impact to patients and their families."

Surgical specialty leaders are reviewing each postponed case to ensure surgeries can be safely rescheduled. All impacted patients will be contacted as soon as possible.

These repairs will result in rescheduled appointments across all surgical departments and will be completed in two phases to ensure there is backup equipment capacity at Rockyview General Hospital. During these periods, RGH staff will work with South Health Campus to sterilize instruments for use at RGH while repairs and upgrades are implemented.

"We are working closely with impacted patients to reschedule their procedures at their earliest convenience," says Dr. Viner. "Rockyview patients will continue to receive the care they need, when they need it, including urgent and emergency surgeries."

Rockyview General Hospital performs 50 to 60 scheduled (elective) surgeries per day, five days a week. This equipment repair will impact approximately 50 scheduled surgeries per week. RGH also performs 10 to 20 emergency surgeries daily, seven days a week.