VA Hospital in Colorado reschedules surgeries after residue found on equipment

The VA Hospital in Aurora has rescheduled dozens of surgeries after medical equipment was found with a residue. The Veterans Affairs secretary told CBS News Colorado that no patients were harmed. 

The VA said that during recent pre-surgery inspections, a residue was found on some reusable medical equipment. After staff identified the concern there was a temporary cancelation of those surgeries. 

Engineers, the sterile processing service and clinical staff are working to identify the cause of the residue to keep it from happening again. Samples of the residue have been sent for testing. 

"Patient safety is our number one priority, so we encourage staff to 'stop the line' any time they have concerns – and we commend our staff for identifying this issue and ensuring our veterans are safe," said VA Press Secretary Terrence Hayes in a statement. 

The hospital rescheduled or referred to community hospitals for 181 surgeries and 52 dental appointments. The VA Hospital is located on the Anschutz Medical Campus in Aurora.