Water line break closes Midwest City surgery center for a month

The break happened Thursday afternoon at the M.D. Medical Tower, a four-story medical office building at 8121 National Ave., forcing the evacuation of more than 100 people. Although the building sustained no structural damage, there was significant water damage on the first floor, which includes a surgery center run by the hospital, officials said.

“It is a mess,” Assistant Fire Chief Jarett Metheny said.

Two patients had to be moved across the street immediately as their surgeries were interrupted.

Sheila Wynn, spokeswoman for Midwest Regional Medical Center, said the owners of the buildings have informed tenants that all floors except for the first floor should reopen Monday.

“On the first floor, we know that our surgery center will be down for a month,” Wynn said.

In the meantime, hospital staff members are working to move surgeries scheduled there to the hospital. Most of the procedures done in the surgery center were outpatient, Wynn said.

“We are making every effort to keep all those patients in our community and move their procedures over here,” Wynn said.

Those who had procedures scheduled at the surgery center should hear soon from their doctors' offices about rescheduling, Wynn said.