A number of recent reports have shed light on the use of unclean surgical instruments in surgical procedures across the country and North America generally.

For one, according to Becker's Hospital Review, California regulators found that Los Robles Regional Medical Center used contaminated instruments during three different procedures without reporting an adverse event to the state as required. This survey was triggered by 11 different federal complaints alleging the state did not meet Medicare standards. Investigators also said two patients were placed under anesthesia for procedures that were then canceled because of compromised equipment. Three sampled steam sterilizers were also not cleaned according to the manufacturer's instructions.

According to reporting from Spotlight PA, Penn State Health also struggled to maintain a usable supply of sterile instruments throughout 2025 and so far this year. Internal records show that an emergency brain operation was done with contaminated surgical tools, and a heart surgery was also performed with unsterile tools.

At Grande Prairie Regional Hospital in Alberta, Canada, according to CBC, there have been at least two incidents where contaminated medical instruments made their way into operating rooms. One such incident involved an orthopedic instrument that contained visible tissue from its last use, and another orthopedic instrument was found in a similar state a month later. Elective surgeries were briefly paused following the discoveries.

These stories all point to the importance of ensuring sterile processing practices are rigorously enforced at all times to protect patients.