Hospitals resume more surgeries, procedures
Published 6:00 pm Wednesday, April 29, 2020
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Area hospitals are beginning to resume surgeries and procedures this week consistent with the provisions of Gov. John Bel Edwards’ April 20 order.
The new guidance allows for procedures and surgeries for emergencies to avoid further harm from underlying conditions and for time-sensitive conditions.
Procedures for life-threatening conditions were approved to continue during the original order, Dr. Timothy Haman, Christus Ochsner Health Southwestern Louisiana chief medical officer, said, but cases like bulging discs and back surgeries have been delayed for 30 days. Under the new guidance, physicians are allowed to ask themselves if a continued delay would be appropriate.
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“They may have been able to wait 30 days, but at this point is it prudent to continue?” Haman said physicians are now allowed to ask themselves and then schedule accordingly.
Physicians and their office staff have been tasked with calling patients who fit such criteria to commence with surgery.
There are no blanket groups of which surgeries can resume and which must wait.
Rather, the order states that physicians should “consider each patient individually,” Haman said. “For cases where people are suffering, you want to make sure you’re thinking of them as people and not globally putting them into large categories.”
Gerald Bryant, Lake Charles Memorial Health System executive vice president and chief nursing officer, said time sensitivity is key in determining which patients and procedures will commence.
“It’s really based on the patient’s clinical presentation and how they fared since this whole thing started. We make a clinical decision in collaboration with the patient whether or not continuing to not take care of what needs to be done is in their best interest.”
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Since Memorial began resuming procedures on Monday, Bryant said the hospital saw about 13 cases each day ranging from urology, cardiovascular, orthopedic and cancer-related surgeries.
“Right now, we’re ramping up. Our ramp up plan is to try and get up to 15-20 cases a day and see how our work flows.”
Once patients arrive at hospitals, additional safety measures will be in place including a no-visitors policy. Haman said patients are being advised to be dropped off and have drivers wait in the parking garage for short procedures or await a phone call away from the hospital site for longer procedures or cases where patients are admitted.
To cope with such changes, Bryant said to make good use of every opportunity to speak with nurses and physicians. “Any patient or family just needs to be encouraged to ask questions. Get clarity.”
Increased use of face masks by personnel is in effect across both hospitals. Bryant added with decreased staff and increased safety measures, “Things will move a little slower.”
Patients can also expect changes to pre-operative screenings ,which include COVID-19 screening questions about signs, symptoms and lifestyle. Haman said some patients at Christus may be eligible for COVID-19 antibody testing as part of their pre-operative screening.
“I do think until there’s a vaccine we’re going to likely have to think about COVID in everything we do in the hospital,” Haman said.
Fears regarding the COVID-19 should not hinder patients from getting necessary medical attention, Haman said, and both hospitals are implementing isolated wards for COVID-19 and limited outside admission.
“We want to people to feel safe. We don’t want them staying home until it’s too late. It’s OK to talk to your doctor. It’s OK to come to the hospital if you have an emergency. We’re prepared to take care of you if you have COVID but we’re also here to do everything else we’ve done the 112 years now that St. Patrick has been in the area.”
For more details on Christus Ochsner Health Southwestern Louisiana’s response visit, www.christushealth.org/southwest-louisiana/corona-virus. For more details on Lake Charles Memorial Health System’s COVID-19 practices visit, www.lcmh.com/covid-19.
