In the midst of all the buzz about the H1N1 virus, you may not be surprised to hear that some elective surgical procedures may be postponed or cancelled in the weeks and months to come. Are U.S. hospitals concerned about contagion? Perhaps to some extent. But the reason most health care professionals give for considering this measure is simply to conserve resources.
A week ago, USA Today checked in with some of the staff of Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, one of the U.S. hospitals looking at limiting elective surgery if the need to deal with H1N1 demands it. One physician told the story of the hospital’s worst day in recent memory, October 11th, when swine flu patients came in to the pediatric emergency room at the rate of 15 to 20 every hour. That’s almost triple the average rate.
Doctors at Johns Hopkins expect the wave of additional emergency room visits to continue or grow as flu season hits full stride. And increased traffic in the ER means more people needing hospitalization and even intensive care to make a full recovery.
In fact, that’s one interesting aspect of the H1N1 phenomenon. Hospitals considering cutting back on elective surgery are not so much concerned about spreading H1N1 to other patients. Rather, cutbacks would help ensure there are enough beds and enough staff to attend to those who need professional care to recover from swine flu.
U.S. hospitals are not alone in preparing to implement coping measures in case of another wave of swine flu victims. In fact, Canada seems to be pulling out all the stops across the country to tackle the H1N1 challenge head on. Two weeks ago, the Vancouver Sun reported that British Columbia Children’s Hospital is prepared to shut off elective surgery if required. A doctor on staff, Eric Skarsgard, noted that, “The domino effect of increased ILI [influenza-like illness] on other services in a fixed capacity system is inevitable. As more resources are needed to care for the ILI population, our ability to provide business-as-usual care to the rest of our patients is compromised.”
In Montreal, the Quebec Health Department has urged hospitals to postpone internal meetings. Other activities deemed non-essential, such as support groups and even prenatal care, may also be shelved temporarily if H1N1 spreads.
If you’re looking to schedule an elective procedure, such as orthopedic or cosmetic surgery, how might the H1N1 pandemic affect you? As of right now, few, if any, hospitals have shut down elective surgery. You should be able to secure a date for surgery at least for the time being, keeping in mind that your procedure could be postponed should additional cases of swine flu flare up in your area.
But should you put the idea of surgery on the back burner to safeguard your health? Generally speaking, there’s little reason to worry that you’ll contract swine flu from a hospital or ambulatory surgical center. Accredited facilities like these are already very well versed in infection control—they have to be. It may also comfort you to know that study after study confirms that the very best way to control the spread of H1N1 is an old, low-tech but highly effective standard: hand washing.
Finally, is it necessary to have the H1N1 vaccine prior to surgery? One Los Angeles area plastic surgeon acknowledges that while any surgery puts stress on the body, a non-elderly adult in good health who is not liable to be exposed to high-risk environments does not necessarily need to be vaccinated before surgery. If you do get the H1N1 vaccine, you should wait at least a few days before going under the knife.
If you’re considering elective surgery and you’re worried about swine flu, discuss your concerns with your doctor. You and your physician should decide together how to protect your health in the era of H1N1, just as always.