Resuming Elective Surgeries
Edward Hospital will resume some elective surgeries and procedures starting May 11.
Those include orthopedic procedures like knee or hip replacements, appendectomies, and oncology surgeries that weren’t urgent.
For general procedures like mammograms and colonoscopies, it depends on the case.
“If it’s a screening colonoscopy or a screening mammogram we’re still probably going to hold off on those,” said Joseph Dant, President and CEO of Edward Hospital. “If it’s a diagnostic scope, GI procedure where they actually think they have an issue and they have to go in and fix something or check something out more that may be more acute or serious then that would be allowed to be scheduled.”
The hospital is still looking at guidelines for CT’s and MRI’s.
Taking Extra Precautions
Getting back into the operating room requires extra precautions. All patients will be tested for COVID-19 within 72 hours of their appointment.
Those who test positive will need to reschedule.
Patients with negative results will still be screened again the day of the procedure. If any symptoms show up, they’ll need to reschedule 14 days out as well.
How Many Will Be Performed?
Edward still isn’t sure how many elective operations will be performed each day. It will depend on a number of factors and be determined by the newly created surgical scheduling steering committee.
“They take into account our personal protective equipment, take into account admissions from the day before, what’s our current census of both patients on the floors as well as patients diagnosed with COVID-19,” said Dant.
The hospital plans to perform the surgeries and procedures Monday through Friday for the time being.
Naperville News 17’s Aysha Ashley Househ reports.
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