What to Know About Surgery During the Pandemic
4/8/2021
PALMER – The thought of having surgery for a nagging injury or lingering pain can make some people uneasy. While the temptation to delay care – especially during a pandemic – may be strong, experts continue to stress the importance of not procrastinating when it comes to medical needs.
Delaying surgery for any length of time can result in complications that produce long-term health issues, according Charles Haggerty, M.D. “Patients can put themselves at greater risk for an adverse outcome when they put off a needed surgery,” said Haggerty, an orthopedic surgeon with Pioneer Peak Orthopedics. “There are some procedures that really shouldn’t wait; otherwise, you’re going to adversely impact yourself.”
The pandemic created an extremely fluid environment at the beginning of the outbreak, Haggerty said, as hospitals prepared for an influx of COVID patients and began to strategically reallocate resources.
“Things have calmed down quite a bit now in comparison to a year ago. We’ve really bounced back,” Haggerty said. “The hospital has done a good job of putting safety protocols in place.”
“COVID has changed how we do things,” added Dr. Shannon Gulley, a general surgeon with Glacier Surgical Associates. “It has created an entirely new level of conversation with patients because we discuss COVID testing and their concern about safety.”
Gulley said a good part of that conversation includes reassuring patients that protocols have been put in place to mitigate exposure to COVID. “Surgery honestly is the safest place to be,” she said. “It’s a sterile environment, everybody’s been tested and wearing complete PPE.”
Mat-Su Regional Medical Center has enacted numerous precautions to keep patients safe, including controlling access to the facility and limiting visitors, requiring universal masking, implementing enhanced cleaning and disinfecting protocols, screening visitors for COVID-19 exposure, arranging furniture to promote physical distancing and upgrading its air filtration systems. All staff use rigorous infection prevention procedures, as well as personal protective equipment.
Mat-Su Regional requires pre-surgery COVID-19 testing and has established a dedicated COVID testing station at Mat-Su Regional Urgent Care in Wasilla. Patients are also asked to self-quarantine after receiving the test and before arriving at the hospital.
“At the beginning, patients were very reluctant to have procedures – especially elderly patients,” said Gulley. “We still see some resistance, but not as much as before.”
Surgeons like Haggerty and Gulley – along with Mat-Su Regional’s surgical team – work closely with patients and families to answer questions or address concerns before and after a surgery.
Gulley said people tend to delay screenings. “We see it most for colonoscopies, for example,” she said. “We're screening for cancers, and obviously if we don't catch it early enough, it's going to lead to a larger intervention later.”
Gulley shared the story of a patient who was apprehensive about having a screening colonoscopy for fear of exposure to COVID. “We convinced the patient it was the right thing to do and we found cancer,” Gulley said. “Fortunately, it was early stage. The patient only needed surgery – not chemotherapy. Had the patient waited three or six months, it would have been a different story.”
Lingering injuries or pain usually don’t go away if they’re not addressed, Haggerty noted. “Putting off a needed surgery is a very big decision,” he said. “If you wait for weeks or months, it’s not going to be beneficial. By delaying a procedure, you’re already negatively impacting your current quality of life.”
To request an appointment with a surgeon, other specialist or a primary care provider, visit the Find A Doctor link at the top of the page.
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