Organized storage is critical to maintaining workflow efficiency within a hospital. It’s even more important in surgical departments that rely on sterilized instruments and equipment. However, as hospitals expand their services and increase instrument inventories, many facilities find that their existing storage systems no longer support their needs.
Sana Klinik Benrath faced this issue when changes to their sterile processing workflows required expanding storage capacity within the constraints of their existing footprint.
About the Facility
Sana Klinik Benrath is a modern primary and regular care hospital in Düsseldorf and part of Sana Kliniken AG, Germany’s third-largest private hospital group operating nationwide.
The hospital supports a broad range of surgical and medical specialties, including trauma and orthopedic surgery, cardiology, oncology, and gynecology and obstetrics. Supporting this clinical breadth requires the operating department to manage a wide range of surgical trays, implants, and related materials daily.
The Challenge: Growing Inventory, Limited Space
As surgical volume and instrument inventories increased, storage capacity within the operating department reached its limit. Changes to sterile processing workflows, including the closure of the on-site Central Sterile Services Department (CSSD), further increased the number of trays requiring storage near the operating rooms.
Having more instruments in circulation exceeded the facility’s storage space. To accommodate the new supplies, surgical trays were temporarily stored in narrow corridors outside the operating rooms and, at times, in the basement.
These conditions created several operational challenges:
- Limited dedicated storage space within the OR area
- Temporary tray storage in narrow corridors
- Additional materials being stored in secondary locations
- Limited visibility of available trays, which required staff to open multiple cabinets
The goal was to clear corridors wherever possible, improve the work environment, and establish a structured, future-ready storage solution for surgical trays, implants, backup materials, and sutures, with minimal disruption to ongoing operations.
The Solution: MetroMax® Top-Track High-Density Plastic Shelving
To address these challenges, Sana Klinik Benrath implemented a new MetroMax® Top-Track high-density track shelving system to centralize and organize surgical trays and critical materials near the operating rooms.
High-density shelving is ideal for hospitals and other healthcare facilities seeking to store a large number of sterile supplies in limited space. A track system enables stationary and mobile units to operate within a single aisle, maximizing floor space while improving organization and accessibility.
For this specific facility, the installation combined MetroMax all-plastic shelving units with an overhead track configuration, providing space for sterile trays, implants, backup materials, and suture supplies, stored in a centralized, structured layout.
MetroMax shelving has open-grid shelves that promote airflow and prevent dust buildup, helping maintain sterile conditions. Its smooth surfaces and corrosion-proof materials are easy to clean and maintain, offering long-term durability in demanding healthcare environments.
A key advantage for Sana Klinik Benrat was this solution’s overhead rail design. Unlike systems with floor-mounted tracks, Metro’s Top-Track configuration eliminated floor obstructions and enabled installation during ongoing operations without closing parts of the department.
Overall, this approach enabled the department to accommodate an expanded inventory while improving organization and accessibility for OR staff.
Results and Early Impact
Within a short timeframe, the operating department was able to accommodate all surgical trays and critical materials within a clearly organized storage system.
Early outcomes included:
- Tidier corridors outside the operating rooms
- Centralized, clearly organized storage
- Improved visibility of tray availability without opening multiple cupboards
- The updated storage layout supports smoother workflows and more efficient day-to-day use of space within the operating department.
Customer Perspective
“A very significant advantage for us was that there are no floor tracks. That allowed us to implement the system relatively quickly during ongoing operations. With another product, we would have had to close at least part of the area for a day.”
— Project Manager, Sana Klinik Benrath
Conclusion: A Practical Model for OR Storage Optimization
The MetroMax Top-Track installation enabled Sana Klinik Benrath to respond to its growing storage demands driven by increased instrument volumes and clinical complexity. By consolidating an expanded inventory into a structured system near the operating rooms, the hospital improved organization, overview, and day-to-day usability, all without expanding physical storage space.
Based on these experiences, Sana Klinik Benrath views the solution as a practical reference for future storage projects and a best-practice example that can be shared across the wider Sana hospital group.
Learn how to optimize your sterile processing storage with MetroMax shelving.