(INDIANAPOLIS) – Hospitals have the green light to resume elective surgeries, but some of them are still keeping some procedures on hold.
Community Health Network says it’s increased surgeries by about 10%, but chief physician
executive Ram Yeleti says the hospitals are still only adding “semi-urgent” procedures like cancer
surgeries and kidney stones. Less critical procedures, including joint replacements, cataract operations, and hernia surgery, are still being delayed.
Governor Holcomb lifted a monthlong pause on elective procedures because a feared shortage of hospital beds hasn’t materialized. But Yeleti says hospitals still need to make sure they don’t burn through their supplies of N95 masks and other protective gear. And he says doctors have to be able to test patients before wheeling them in — patients with coronavirus are at higher risk when they go under anesthesia.
Yeleti predicts it’ll be at least a month before all restrictions are lifted, and could be two months.
Patients who do get on the surgery calendar will see some changes. Everyone, including patients, will
wear masks, and visitors have been banned. And Yeleti says the hospital has worked with scheduling to minimize the amount of time patients spend sitting in a waiting room.
