A leaky humidifier valve forced the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Fargo to shut down its five operating rooms for nearly two weeks for repairs and cleanup work.
Four of five operating rooms were back in service Monday, and the fifth will be ready once new paint has cured in a week.
"Everything's getting back to normal now," Peggy Wheelden, a Veterans Affairs spokeswoman, said Monday.
The shutdown required the VA medical center to reschedule an estimated 100 elective surgical procedures and to send one emergency surgery case to a local private hospital, she said.
"Patients and employees were never in any danger from the humidifier valve problem," Wheelden said.
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The problem was discovered the morning of Nov. 22 when operating room staff arrived for work and found paint had "bubbled" in one operating room.
Repairs were made in that operating room, but others remained closed until paint odors dissipated, Wheelden said.
"Paint smell and removal was an environmental concern for patients and staff," she said.
"It was not a major crisis," Wheelden added. "It was disruptive. It was a major inconvenience to our patients."
The medical center's same-day surgery operations weren't hampered.
Teri McMaines, a patient advocate at the VA medical center, said no patient grievances were filed as a result of the disruptions.
"I have not received any complaints whatsoever from patients," she said.
Readers can reach Forum reporter Patrick Springer at (701) 241-5522
