A hearing which began with issues regarding vendors supplying medical instruments revealed safety concerns at Halifax Medical Center, from medical tools falling apart in the middle of an operation to medical tools not sterilized at an optimum level.

Dr. Federico Vinus, a neurosurgeon at Halifax Medical Center, testified an instrument he was using broke and a piece of wire actually fell into the patient’s body and was hard to retrieve.

This hearing was to try to stop Halifax from using a vendor the hospital prefers, and not vendors like Spinal Resources and other medical instrument providers.

"If certain things aren't available it creates a potential, a dangerous situation. At least that's our position," said Tim Elliot, a lawyer for Spinal Resources Inc.

Elliot said the company he represents is banished from the Daytona Beach hospital. It's no longer able to provide instruments for doctors like Vinus, who testified he preferred their tools because they have a wider range.

Testimony also revealed doctors operating at the 678-bed hospital were forced to use instruments not sterilized before an operation. Instead, during the procedure they used a method called Flash Sterilization -- sterilizing tools on the spot.

An attorney for the hospital claims Flash Sterilization was needed because Spinal Resources pulled all of its instruments before it was told it could no longer do business at Halifax.

"The delay resulted in not being able to use the most optimum method for sanitizing or sterilizing the trays," said Harold Hubka, a lawyer for the hospital.

There was nothing presented which indicated that patient safety was put at risk by this sterilization method.  Also Flash Sterilization is deemed acceptable by the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention.  However, the CDC says it should not be used for reasons of convenience.

The hearing to try to stop Halifax from using just one vendor was continued for another date.