[Histonet] Re-processing

[Celebre Julia]

Calling all processing and reprocessing experts out there....

I'm sure all labs over the years have run into processing troubles ranging from instrument malfunctions during the night to misplacement of solutions (usually a water before the xylene), causing pure horror for the technologist who opens up the retort in the morning.  It's sad to say that our department is experienced in these situations, and everytime something happens to the processing it's always difficult to decide how best to reprocess the sections. 

Each time we've reprocessed our sections (usually due to the introduction of water before the xylene or paraffin stations) on shortened absolute alcohol, xylenes and paraffin times, they'v ended up being extremely hard and brittle, which does not make our pathologist happy....

Is there a way of reprocessing tissue without damaging it? 
Would adding a softener to the alcohols reduce the hardening affects of reprocessing?
How much time can be safely shaved off if the tissues have already been through a regular program? 

Any help is greatly appreciated,

Julia Celebre MLT
Anatomic Pathology
Hamilton General Hospital
Hamilton, Ontario
Canada
905-527-0271  ext 46179
email: celebrej <@t> hhsc.ca




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