Would you have elective surgery next week? UPDATE! Page 4

[Christine]

I'd be more concerned with transmission happening at a market than in a hospital.

Just curious as you're the second person to mention this: why do you think transmission is more risky at a market than in a hospital? Seriously, I'm not disagreeing with you or the other person who said that, just trying to understand why it might be safer? I definitely *want* to believe that as I'm having a surgery in early March.

When I go to a grocery store, everyone is masked, it's never really crowded and I'm constantly moving and in and out of there quickly. I have no doubt that there are infected people shopping but I'm not near them and if I happen to pass through their "air" it's quick.

I envision being in the hospital, a sitting duck literally for at least 8 hours and being cared for/approached by medical staff they may have the virus and be asymptomatic. And they will be spending time with me. From what I see on the news, unless I'm in a COVID ward, my care providers won't be wearing N95s but may well have the same paper mask on that I do.

So, please do tell me why you think the hospital is safer than any other indoor place. Maybe I'm just missing something obvious.

I am really hoping that by early March, all of my health care attendants for that surgery will have been vaccinated.

 

[TipsyTraveler]

Just curious as you're the second person to mention this: why do you think transmission is more risky at a market than in a hospital? Seriously, I'm not disagreeing with you or the other person who said that, just trying to understand why it might be safer? I definitely *want* to believe that as I'm having a surgery in early March.

When I go to a grocery store, everyone is masked, it's never really crowded and I'm constantly moving and in and out of there quickly. I have no doubt that there are infected people shopping but I'm not near them and if I happen to pass through their "air" it's quick.

I envision being in the hospital, a sitting duck literally for at least 8 hours and being cared for/approached by medical staff they may have the virus and be asymptomatic. And they will be spending time with me. From what I see on the news, unless I'm in a COVID ward, my care providers won't be wearing N95s but may well have the same paper mask on that I do.

So, please do tell me why you think the hospital is safer than any other indoor place. Maybe I'm just missing something obvious.

I am really hoping that by early March, all of my health care attendants for that surgery will have been vaccinated.

I agree. I feel there is almost no risk in large stores where I can easily stay away from people and interactions with employees are brief and often through a plexiglass pane. The only places I’ve had to go throughout the pandemic that have felt unsafe to me are medical offices. Small, enclosed rooms with little air circulation where I’m unable to social distance and am having prolonged interactions with staff members who are in turn having prolonged interactions with a steady stream of patients day in and day out. I don’t think twice about a quick trip to Home Depot, but medical appointments set me on edge and I spend the following two weeks counting down until I’m “in the clear.”

 

[StitchesGr8Fan]

Is the rehab at home or a rehab center? I think a rehab center is where the risk is highest.

 

[Starport Seven-Five]

Afford to have surgery? That is why we have insurance. Also, if people can’t afford insurance, we have Medicaid. I could not imagine my 76 year old father having to wait years for his hip and knee replacements that he had this year - yes, during covid. Both were scheduled within a month of the Dr telling him he needed one. The pain was so intense for both of them that he was in constant pain.

Your 76 year old father is on Medicare which isn't far off of what Canada has for their entire country.

Regarding the bolded: Yes if you have good insurance. Many plans have high deductibles and coming up with thousands for surgery can be an issue. Medicaid is only an option for the lower class due to income limits and finding a doctor to accept it can also be a challenge.

 

[CarolAnn856]

I actually am, but I’m going to a surgical center and not a hospital, and I feel much more comfortable with that option.

 

[JLTraveling]

Nope. My dad has a lot of chronic medical issues, and there are various annual tests and things that he's due for. He also needs a hernia repair and oral surgery. But he and his doctor are in agreement that as long as he's stable, everything should wait till at least spring. That said, he did have an issue back in May that required a brief hospitalization. But the hospital system has several locations and at least at that point, was testing everyone who walked in the door for Covid and sending Covid patients to a different campus, and not letting any staff work with a positive test or any symptoms. It was a risk, but not a huge one, and absolutely essential. If surgery can wait, I would wait.

 

[Kellydelly]

I would have it done. I don't think covid is going anywhere soon and I also don't have a lot of faith in the vaccine (JMHO). You can catch covid anywhere.

 

[cvjw]

Your 76 year old father is on Medicare which isn't far off of what Canada has for their entire country.

Regarding the bolded: Yes if you have good insurance. Many plans have high deductibles and coming up with thousands for surgery can be an issue. Medicaid is only an option for the lower class due to income limits and finding a doctor to accept it can also be a challenge.

Nope. He is still working. By choice. Retired and was bored. He uses Blue Cross, Blue Shield. We have a high deductible plan, but guess what? We save every month with an HSA account so we will be prepared if we need to meet that deductible.

I do have relatives on Medicare. I have never heard of one of them having to wait multiple years for an elective procedure, so we are VERY far off than the Canadian system in that regard.

 

[Kelandsam]

Yes, I would. My 23dd had a tonsillectomy on 12/23 after 2 years of chronic strep infections. Was I concerned? of course, but I had conversations with the surgeon and the out patient surgical center regarding their safe guards. My biggest issue was getting her pain meds filled AFTER the surgery as Walgreens, walmart and Meijer’s had NO pharmacist’s on duty. Seriously?

 

[tarheelmjfan]

Afford to have surgery? That is why we have insurance. Also, if people can’t afford insurance, we have Medicaid. I could not imagine my 76 year old father having to wait years for his hip and knee replacements that he had this year - yes, during covid. Both were scheduled within a month of the Dr telling him he needed one. The pain was so intense for both of them that he was in constant pain.

If you really believe that, you need to educate yourself on healthcare in this country. There are millions of people who don't have insurance, because they don't have employer subsidized insurance & can't afford to pay it all. They also make a little too much to qualify for Medicaid. Sometimes, I wonder if people really don't know how many working Americans there are that don't receive employee healthcare or other benefits.

Edited because I realized I typed Medicare instead of Medicaid.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

If you really believe that, you need to educated yourself on healthcare in this country. There are millions of people who don't have insurance, because they don't have employer subsidized insurance & can't afford to pay it all. They also make a little too much to qualify for Medicaid. Sometimes, I wonder if people really don't know how many working Americans there are that don't receive employee healthcare or other benefits.

Edited because I realized I typed Medicare instead of Medicaid.

The sister-in-law I mentioned in my earlier comment because her father has Tricare (Military) the moment she got married she was ineligible for health insurance. That's when she stopped having it. For a while before and after she worked for her father who did not have health insurance for his employees as a benefit (he only has a handful of employees), she recently started working away from her father but does not yet have health insurance through the company. Her husband never stayed at a job long enough to qualify for health insurance either.

 

[TippyThomas]

I had elective surgery about 2 weeks ago so yes I would.

 

[momof2n2]

My husband and I are in a quandary. He has outpatient shoulder surgery scheduled for next week that we could postpone. We are concerned about Covid exposure during surgery and for the weeks of rehab after surgery.

Would you feel the risk is acceptable to have the surgery and therapy? His shoulder is painful but tolerable.

Thank you!

I would have whatever surgery I needed done as long as it is out-patient or he would just be in overnight. I would not want to be hospitalized for any length of time with visitation restrictions as strict as they are in most places.

 

[Mrs. Ciz]

I had double knee replacements during the pandemic at the beginning of July. The joint replacement area in the hospital was a completely separate floor from the rest of the hospital with separate staff. I stayed in the hospital for 3 days and then had 12 weeks of out patient PT in a clinic. Masks, extra cleaning, health screening and distancing kept the clinic from having an outbreak while I was there. The spread had dropped back and the curve had flattened during the summer due to all the protocols, and people spending more time outside. If we had been in the middle of a spike, I might have waited. I am VERY happy I had this horrific surgery done this past summer. I’m still not 100% healed - that takes a full year plus - but I’m getting better and better every day. I’m not sure my right knee will ever be as good/flexible as my left knee though because it suffered way more damage due to arthritis than my left. If waiting will cause more damage, then that needs to be considered.

 

[Mickeynutty]

OP here. Thank you for all your posts. We are going to proceed towards having the surgery. Will let you know if that changes.

The surgery will be done at a surgery center, not a hospital, and while it is elective, my husband wants to start getting better. Ultimately, we have decided it is worth the risk.

Thanks, again!

 

[tvguy]

I've had 5 outpatient procedures since March, felt safer there than anywhere else. The last one was a colonoscopy in November, the big difference with that, they now require a covid test 3 days before, and require you to quarantine from the day of test until your procedure.

 

[georgina]

OP here. Thank you for all your posts. We are going to proceed towards having the surgery. Will let you know if that changes.

The surgery will be done at a surgery center, not a hospital, and while it is elective, my husband wants to start getting better. Ultimately, we have decided it is worth the risk.

Thanks, again!

Good luck! Hope everything goes well. I had outpatient hand surgery in October at a surgery facility I had been to twice before and knew they are super careful about infection. I had a covid test 7 days before and was required to stay home until surgery day.

I have also been catching up on tests I had put off recently - mammogram, gyne appt (she sent me for a bone density scan), then had a separate CT for another problem.

 

[Mickeynutty]

My husband had the surgery a week ago and we are both glad he did. We felt the surgery center took as many precautions as possible and the nurses there had already had the first dose of the vaccine. I know you need to get two, but I suppose having had the first is better than none.

My husband and I are so glad that he has begun the healing process of getting over the shoulder injury. I think when I first posted this, I would have pulled the plug and not had the surgery if my husband hadn’t been in so much pain and I hadn’t gotten so much support here.

So for that, a huge thank you!

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Good thoughts sent your way for a speedy and good recovery for him

 

[Dan Murphy]

Great news and update, Mickeynutty. Wishing him a speedy, complete recovery.