Surgeries Delayed Due To Covid-19
- Elective surgeries have been delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic, but necessary surgeries for cancer patients are likely to continue
- Some cancer patients are threatening to sue hospitals for delaying surgeries indefinitely
- Going to the hospital or doctor’s office does pose risk for exposure to COVID and as cancer patients we need to take greater precautions
In Centennial, Colorado, 60-year old Rob Kyker who had scheduled a surgery to have skin cancer removed from his scalp, is threatening to sue Centennial’s Kaiser Permanente for delaying his surgery indefinitely.
Read MoreWhy Are Some Cancer Surgeries Being Postponed?
In order to keep patients and hospital staff safe during Covid-19, new practices concerning cancer treatment have disrupted surgeries and hospital visits. While urgent surgeries for aggressive, later stage cancers are likely to continue, physicians are struggling with caring for cancer patients while simultaneously handling the increasing number of Covid-19 cases. "It's a really tough time at the hospital as you can imagine. New York City is at the epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic," Dr. Brendon Stiles, a thoracic surgeon at Weill-Cornell Medical Center, tells SurvivorNet. "So, a lot of our resources are really being diverted towards taking care of those patients. We're doing everything we can to make sure that our cancer patients get cared for in appropriate fashion during that time as well."However, as some surgeries are being delayed, some cancer patients are taking treatment in their own hands.
Making Informed Decisions
Many cancer patients are feeling the pressure of the outbreak, and treatment options being disrupted certainly isn’t helping those emotions. However, it’s worth pointing out that there might be increased risks to patients who are pushing for surgery during Covid-19.
“At the end of the day, it’s about informed decision making and telling the patient the risks and the benefits,” Dr. Stephen Freedland, Director of the Center for Integrated Research in Cancer and Lifestyle at Cedars-Sinai, told SurvivorNet. “They are coming into the hospital. They’re going to end up spending the night in the hospital. They’re going to be in the operating room. They’re exposing themselves to everything that’s going on in a hospital environment. They are exposing the hospital workers to whatever they may be bringing in. I think the other very, very important thing that we need to be aware of is we’re in this environment with limited personal protection equipment– gloves, masks, sterile gowns.”
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