URMC pauses some elective surgeries amid IV fluid shortage caused by Hurricane Helene

ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Both URMC and Rochester Regional Health are feeling the effects of an IV sterile fluid shortage after Hurricane Helene damaged a manufacturer facility in North Carolina.

The University of Rochester Medical Center is pausing some elective and semi-elective surgeries over IV fluid shortages caused by Hurricane Helene.

As News10NBC has reported, hospitals nationwide have gotten fewer shipments of IV fluids after the hurricane disrupted manufacturing at the North Carolina facility of Baxter International, Inc. That company produces 60% of IV and other medical fluids for hospitals across the country. 

Starting Wednesday, URMC is pausing some elective and semi-elective surgeries that require the use of IV sterile fluids. Hospital leaders say this will help them prioritize urgent and emergency cases. Every day, a team is reviewing which cases can be delayed up to three months. If you’re affected, you will be notified.

“We believe this step is necessary in the near term to maintain essential care as we work to stabilize inventories,” said Dr. Michael Apostolakos, the chief medical officer at URMC. “We acknowledge the difficulties this decision will cause some of our patients, and is our intention to get back on our usual schedule as soon as we are able”

Hospital leaders say they know this is frustrating to patients, and it is to them, too.

“A lot of us manufacturers have facilities in other countries that the FDA has allowed them to import from, but there are logistics issues in getting that fluid here. There is labeling issues of getting it in, written in English, the labels of the of the bags, and we anticipate it’s going to take several weeks,” said Dr. Apostolakos.

News10NBC checked in with Rochester Regional Health. They’ve rescheduled a small number of procedures. URMC says IV fluid supply is expected to improve over the next few weeks.

Patients will be contacted directly if their surgery needs to be postponed. There is no need to contact your surgeon’s office.