Shoulder surgery & COVID-19
October 12, 2020 9:32 AM Subscribe
I’m scheduled for shoulder surgery in Seattle next Monday and have freaked myself out reading articles about surgery and COVID-19 like this one. I’m in pain, I have reduced range of motion, but it’s been like this for a year and a half already. Should I wait? Please help me think this through.
What's the Covid plan for the PT practice?
I feel like most hospitals do quite well at limiting spread of disease -- they're very well prepared and experienced there. But for ortho surgery, PT is a big component of a successsful outcome. If you feel confident that the PT practice has good plans for protecting you (and my criteria for these plans is much more about ventilation and patient spacing than cleaning), that's more important, since you'll be spending a good amount of time there.
Another criteria would be how experienced you are with stretching and athletics -- can you get a lot of PT work done on your own, or will you need a lot of supervision to get it done? For example, I'm a freaking veteran at ortho surgery and rehab by now; I'd be confident that I can make good progress on my own. My mother is ... not a veteran in bodywork, not very body-aware, and I have big doubts about whether she'd do her homework at all, know what to look for and do it right, and the outcome is really dependent on that, so I'd ask her to wait right now. Ortho surgery is never a single fix, it's a first step in a lot of work, and how much help you need (that would lead to potential covid exposure) would be a big factor here.
posted by Dashy at 9:49 AM on October 12, 2020 [1 favorite]
I feel like most hospitals do quite well at limiting spread of disease -- they're very well prepared and experienced there. But for ortho surgery, PT is a big component of a successsful outcome. If you feel confident that the PT practice has good plans for protecting you (and my criteria for these plans is much more about ventilation and patient spacing than cleaning), that's more important, since you'll be spending a good amount of time there.
Another criteria would be how experienced you are with stretching and athletics -- can you get a lot of PT work done on your own, or will you need a lot of supervision to get it done? For example, I'm a freaking veteran at ortho surgery and rehab by now; I'd be confident that I can make good progress on my own. My mother is ... not a veteran in bodywork, not very body-aware, and I have big doubts about whether she'd do her homework at all, know what to look for and do it right, and the outcome is really dependent on that, so I'd ask her to wait right now. Ortho surgery is never a single fix, it's a first step in a lot of work, and how much help you need (that would lead to potential covid exposure) would be a big factor here.
posted by Dashy at 9:49 AM on October 12, 2020 [1 favorite]
I'm skeptical about that article. "For every person who undergoes surgery during the COVID-19 pandemic, there is a one in four chance they will die and a 50/50 chance they will suffer severe pulmonary complications." If this were true, hospitals would not be doing elective surgeries at all right now.
My fiance had elective surgery last Monday. The hospital took a number of precautions (COVID-19 test 2 days before surgery, required masks, took temperatures on entering the building, etc.) and so far we don't seem to have died of COVID. It's still possible we've contracted COVID and are unaware so far, of course.
As far as I know, none of the hospitals here (and my fiance works for one of the healthcare systems, as do several of her friends) are causing COVID spread at any great rate. The community spread at the moment primarily seems to be indoor, maskless contact where talking / eating are happening.
All that said - she was having gallbladder attacks that were very painful and unpredictable and really affecting quality of life. We definitely discussed the level of risk and decided it was justified given her pain, duration of attacks, etc.
If your pain is tolerable and you can cope with a limited range of motion indefinitely then you could decide that any risk is too great to chance it. I did opt to move my dental check-up from July to December, since I have no known issues and didn't see a reason to take on any unnecessary risk without any real benefit.
Were I in your shoes, I'd probably go through with the surgery, but that really depends a lot on how bad the pain is. Can you sleep? Does it impact your day to day life severely or is it just a nuisance? If it's impacting your sleep / daily life, again, I'd probably do it.
posted by jzb at 9:49 AM on October 12, 2020 [11 favorites]
My fiance had elective surgery last Monday. The hospital took a number of precautions (COVID-19 test 2 days before surgery, required masks, took temperatures on entering the building, etc.) and so far we don't seem to have died of COVID. It's still possible we've contracted COVID and are unaware so far, of course.
As far as I know, none of the hospitals here (and my fiance works for one of the healthcare systems, as do several of her friends) are causing COVID spread at any great rate. The community spread at the moment primarily seems to be indoor, maskless contact where talking / eating are happening.
All that said - she was having gallbladder attacks that were very painful and unpredictable and really affecting quality of life. We definitely discussed the level of risk and decided it was justified given her pain, duration of attacks, etc.
If your pain is tolerable and you can cope with a limited range of motion indefinitely then you could decide that any risk is too great to chance it. I did opt to move my dental check-up from July to December, since I have no known issues and didn't see a reason to take on any unnecessary risk without any real benefit.
Were I in your shoes, I'd probably go through with the surgery, but that really depends a lot on how bad the pain is. Can you sleep? Does it impact your day to day life severely or is it just a nuisance? If it's impacting your sleep / daily life, again, I'd probably do it.
posted by jzb at 9:49 AM on October 12, 2020 [11 favorites]
Anecdata, but I know a surprising* number of people who've had surgery/babies this year, and none of them got covid. Even the people I know who must do in-person physical therapy afterwards have been reporting pretty decent measures taken and so far, knock wood, they're all negative.
*Probably a completely normal amount, I've just never had to take friends' joint/bone surgeries so seriously before. Previously it was just "I hope they do a good job, let me know if you want a lasagna!" I do also have several friends who've had to make decisions about biopsy/cancer remediation which of course I took seriously in the past but the extra hurdles of decision-making this year have made it more fraught. They are also reporting excellent protective measures being taken in all the various places they have to go.
The article you cite is from June, which was several decades ago in covid management and probably the height of a certain kind of panic that gripped the early summer. It's kind of in between the lines of that article, but you should observe strict personal quarantine - no visitors, bubble up with anyone assisting with your care at home. I think a lot of people did (still do) struggle with understanding how to behave safely and it was a failure to do that driving some of the statistics we saw earlier in the year.
I think you should discuss this with your surgeon and see if you can get a hold of stats from the facility where you're scheduled for surgery. I don't guess your surgeon is required to tell you the truth if you ask if they or their staff have gotten it, but they would be spending a lot more time in the hospital than you will.
posted by Lyn Never at 9:50 AM on October 12, 2020 [5 favorites]
*Probably a completely normal amount, I've just never had to take friends' joint/bone surgeries so seriously before. Previously it was just "I hope they do a good job, let me know if you want a lasagna!" I do also have several friends who've had to make decisions about biopsy/cancer remediation which of course I took seriously in the past but the extra hurdles of decision-making this year have made it more fraught. They are also reporting excellent protective measures being taken in all the various places they have to go.
The article you cite is from June, which was several decades ago in covid management and probably the height of a certain kind of panic that gripped the early summer. It's kind of in between the lines of that article, but you should observe strict personal quarantine - no visitors, bubble up with anyone assisting with your care at home. I think a lot of people did (still do) struggle with understanding how to behave safely and it was a failure to do that driving some of the statistics we saw earlier in the year.
I think you should discuss this with your surgeon and see if you can get a hold of stats from the facility where you're scheduled for surgery. I don't guess your surgeon is required to tell you the truth if you ask if they or their staff have gotten it, but they would be spending a lot more time in the hospital than you will.
posted by Lyn Never at 9:50 AM on October 12, 2020 [5 favorites]
NB- the article linked above cites death rates for patients who got covid right before or right after surgery. It's def not the general population. The headline/lede totally missed that.
posted by Dashy at 9:52 AM on October 12, 2020 [17 favorites]
posted by Dashy at 9:52 AM on October 12, 2020 [17 favorites]
I mentioned to my dental hygienist that a friend had asked me if he should go to the dentist. It had been a while since he'd had a prophy. The hygienist said, and I agree, you're safer at your dentist's office than at Walmart. You're safer at most well-run hospitals than any other public places.
Another thought is, how long do you think the pandemic will last? I'm not an optimist that it will be over by next fall (2021). I'd be thrilled to be surprised and the thing ends sooner. I won't be surprised if it lasts longer than next fall. You're in pain; get it treated.
posted by tmdonahue at 9:56 AM on October 12, 2020 [2 favorites]
Another thought is, how long do you think the pandemic will last? I'm not an optimist that it will be over by next fall (2021). I'd be thrilled to be surprised and the thing ends sooner. I won't be surprised if it lasts longer than next fall. You're in pain; get it treated.
posted by tmdonahue at 9:56 AM on October 12, 2020 [2 favorites]
I'd also note that this article was published in June based on Jan-March statistics. It's now October and we know more and medical teams are acting differently. (And on preview, what Dashy said - always re-read press articles about medical studies - research is super nuanced and the details matter!) So I'd first of all have a frank conversation with your medical team; they should be very able to explain the way they're handling things and their experiences. Also, anecdotally, I also know several people who have had surgeries this year, and everybody was fine. The most obvious downside even if everything goes well is that people can't visit in the hospital, which for a normal surgery feels strange, but in these anecdotal cases it has worked out ok.
posted by troyer at 9:57 AM on October 12, 2020
posted by troyer at 9:57 AM on October 12, 2020
Response by poster: Just to clarify, I’m not that concerned about getting it during surgery, I’m concerned with what happens if I get it at PT. I’ve been going twice a week for months and haven’t gotten it, so there’s that, but I read the underlying Lancet article and although the data is old, why wouldn’t it still be valid? What difference does it make if people erred in their prevention practices—if they got it, they were still at a high risk of dying, right? I mean bear in mind that I’m having a lot of anxiety about surgery in general but 1 in 4? (I did just request a call from my surgeon to discuss.)
posted by HotToddy at 10:06 AM on October 12, 2020
posted by HotToddy at 10:06 AM on October 12, 2020
I'm not an expert at reading data like the Lancet study, but what jumps out at me is this: "predictors of 30-day mortality were consistent with the main analysis: male sex, age 70 years or older, ASA grades 3–5, cancer surgery, and emergency surgery"
ASA 3 is "A patient with severe systemic disease" and 5 is "A moribund patient who is not expected to survive without the operation". So if I'm reading right, the 1 in 4 tended to be in this cohort, most of whom wouldn't have excellent prognoses in normal times if they caught a less nasty virus. If you are in that group, it would be really surprising if your doctor was enthusiastic about shoulder surgery right now - with flu season starting, even - unless it was severely harming your ability to care for yourself/remain independent.
If you're not ASA 3 or greater, as in you are under 70 and not suffering from cancer or organ-related illness, having planned elective surgery (in an era of decent testing so you can be confirmed virus-free beforehand and (ideally) your PT personnel are tested regularly and take appropriate precautions), even if you did get covid you are not in the group most likely to die of it.
Elderly people and really sick people account for a lot of surgery overall, so saying "1 in 4" is a little hand-wavey.
posted by Lyn Never at 10:25 AM on October 12, 2020 [1 favorite]
ASA 3 is "A patient with severe systemic disease" and 5 is "A moribund patient who is not expected to survive without the operation". So if I'm reading right, the 1 in 4 tended to be in this cohort, most of whom wouldn't have excellent prognoses in normal times if they caught a less nasty virus. If you are in that group, it would be really surprising if your doctor was enthusiastic about shoulder surgery right now - with flu season starting, even - unless it was severely harming your ability to care for yourself/remain independent.
If you're not ASA 3 or greater, as in you are under 70 and not suffering from cancer or organ-related illness, having planned elective surgery (in an era of decent testing so you can be confirmed virus-free beforehand and (ideally) your PT personnel are tested regularly and take appropriate precautions), even if you did get covid you are not in the group most likely to die of it.
Elderly people and really sick people account for a lot of surgery overall, so saying "1 in 4" is a little hand-wavey.
posted by Lyn Never at 10:25 AM on October 12, 2020 [1 favorite]
Please scroll down to the bottom of that article; you'll notice that it was published in JUNE of this year, at the height of the first wave. Doctors and patients and everyone else has had four months since then to learn more about how to protect themselves, to develop protocols to protect themselves and others, and to protect you, their patient. I literally just had surgery a week ago, and if you are getting your surgery and doing your pre-and post-surgical care in facilities connected with a hospital they are going to be MASSIVELY careful:
* I got temp-screened in the ambulance two weeks ago when I first had the injury where I broke my knee.
* I got temp-screened to go into the building where my orthopedist gave me a pre-surgical consult, and so did the friend who came with me.
* I had to take a Covid test as part of my pre-surgical tests, and my roommate and I got temp-screened when I walked in the door to do that.
* My roommate and I got temp-screened when I turned up for surgery last week.
* When I go in for my post-op consult next week I will be temp-screened when I walk in the door.
* And that's just the temp screening. Everyone in every room was masked, they were making sure patients were masked, there were stickers on the elevators to mark out 6 ft of social distancing, and signage and hand sanitizer and such everywhere.
In short, hospitals know how bad things can get and so they are doing EVERY LAST THING IN THEIR POWER to catch contagious people before they get in and infect everyone.
They also may specifically discuss Covid risks with you and how to prevent your own exposure and how they would also try to prevent it. They did that with me, and I had to sign something which confirmed I had had that discussion.
In short - maybe it was risky in June, but this is October and doctors AND patients have gotten much better about making sure people are safe. If you are getting your PT in a hospital-related facility you are probably going to be just as safe as can be.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 10:33 AM on October 12, 2020
* I got temp-screened in the ambulance two weeks ago when I first had the injury where I broke my knee.
* I got temp-screened to go into the building where my orthopedist gave me a pre-surgical consult, and so did the friend who came with me.
* I had to take a Covid test as part of my pre-surgical tests, and my roommate and I got temp-screened when I walked in the door to do that.
* My roommate and I got temp-screened when I turned up for surgery last week.
* When I go in for my post-op consult next week I will be temp-screened when I walk in the door.
* And that's just the temp screening. Everyone in every room was masked, they were making sure patients were masked, there were stickers on the elevators to mark out 6 ft of social distancing, and signage and hand sanitizer and such everywhere.
In short, hospitals know how bad things can get and so they are doing EVERY LAST THING IN THEIR POWER to catch contagious people before they get in and infect everyone.
They also may specifically discuss Covid risks with you and how to prevent your own exposure and how they would also try to prevent it. They did that with me, and I had to sign something which confirmed I had had that discussion.
In short - maybe it was risky in June, but this is October and doctors AND patients have gotten much better about making sure people are safe. If you are getting your PT in a hospital-related facility you are probably going to be just as safe as can be.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 10:33 AM on October 12, 2020
Hey there, HT!
As a datapoint, I'm a sick person (end stage renal patient with a recent transplant, on very strong immunosuppressants) and I've had three surgeries (two inpatient ones with 4-7 day hospital stays, one outpatient) since covid hit the US. I'm scheduled for surgery #4 later this month, and after personally experiencing the arc of how medical providers are approaching covid and how the precautions are becoming normal second nature to everyone, I'm not terribly worried about this upcoming one.
I've also been in medical facilities countless times this year. I won't go inside a store because the very idea of traditional shopping gives me the heebiejeebies, but I have to get followups and scans and blood draws etc all the time, sometimes several times a week. So I wear a good mask, stay away from people, wash my hands and carry sanitizer, don't touch any surface I don't have to, and don't stay longer than I have to. If I have a long wait between appointments on the same day, I wait outside. And if a telehealth visit is possible, I do that whenever I can.
Remember that medical staff are protecting themselves, too, so they are highly motivated to keep treatments as safe as possible.
posted by mochapickle at 10:41 AM on October 12, 2020 [1 favorite]
As a datapoint, I'm a sick person (end stage renal patient with a recent transplant, on very strong immunosuppressants) and I've had three surgeries (two inpatient ones with 4-7 day hospital stays, one outpatient) since covid hit the US. I'm scheduled for surgery #4 later this month, and after personally experiencing the arc of how medical providers are approaching covid and how the precautions are becoming normal second nature to everyone, I'm not terribly worried about this upcoming one.
I've also been in medical facilities countless times this year. I won't go inside a store because the very idea of traditional shopping gives me the heebiejeebies, but I have to get followups and scans and blood draws etc all the time, sometimes several times a week. So I wear a good mask, stay away from people, wash my hands and carry sanitizer, don't touch any surface I don't have to, and don't stay longer than I have to. If I have a long wait between appointments on the same day, I wait outside. And if a telehealth visit is possible, I do that whenever I can.
Remember that medical staff are protecting themselves, too, so they are highly motivated to keep treatments as safe as possible.
posted by mochapickle at 10:41 AM on October 12, 2020 [1 favorite]
Also, in June, how much elective surgery were they doing? At that point, IIRC, most people would only have gone in for surgery if they were in danger without it. People weren't getting minor procedures, so that 1/4 is based on a population that is almost entirely things that could NOT be put off.
So people who were included in the study were *already* at a high risk of dying, whether or not they caught covid. And they were at a high risk of dying of covid, whether or not they had surgery, because of other underlying conditions. That's what's changed over time; or, to look at it a different way, why you are not representative of that population.
posted by gideonfrog at 11:02 AM on October 12, 2020
So people who were included in the study were *already* at a high risk of dying, whether or not they caught covid. And they were at a high risk of dying of covid, whether or not they had surgery, because of other underlying conditions. That's what's changed over time; or, to look at it a different way, why you are not representative of that population.
posted by gideonfrog at 11:02 AM on October 12, 2020
Call the doctor's office, talk to someone about your concerns. Ask questions, make sure you feel okay about their Covid plans.
posted by theora55 at 11:22 AM on October 12, 2020
posted by theora55 at 11:22 AM on October 12, 2020
I had knee replacement surgery on Sep 2 at a surgery center, not a hospital, after two postponements due to COVID. Starting with the pre-op physical with my PCP, the COVID prevention precautions were obvious and intense. At the PCP office, all medical staff change from street clothes into scrubs/PPE, every patient is masked, etc. Lots of handwashing/sanitizer for patient & provider. Pre-op COVID test was drive-up at surgical facility. All went well--there were very clear procedures for COVID at all points throughout the surgery experience. (With all the masks/PPE, I wouldn't recognize these people if I saw them again. Which is unfortunate, I think, but understandable.) Same with my twice weekly PT appointments. Temp taken on arrival, no extra people allowed in unless the patient needs an aide. Everyone at every point is masked, all patients were masked, there were stickers on the floor to mark out 6 ft of social distancing, and signage and hand sanitizer pretty much everywhere. Every piece of equipment, tables, etc is sanitized after every patient and is clearly marked as sanitized. I can see the PT/PT assistants with their spray bottles and laundry carts making sure it is all done. One PT assigned to me had to quarantine due to exposure from a family member which I appreciate. All very aboveboard and cautious. If you have been going to PT, you are probably seeing all these precautions as well. You may be able to do tele-PT, too, esp if the post-op exercises are similar to the pre-op ones.
I am in a high risk category due to various factors. I have surgery on my other knee scheduled for the end of December. Scheduled it without hesitation.
Obviously everyone has their own tolerance for risk, but maybe instead of the Lancet you should research through your own local/state health department to get the details on local situation. Things have changed a lot since June as all health facilities, staff, & patients have learned the new procedures. Good luck.
posted by Nosey Mrs. Rat at 11:27 AM on October 12, 2020
I am in a high risk category due to various factors. I have surgery on my other knee scheduled for the end of December. Scheduled it without hesitation.
Obviously everyone has their own tolerance for risk, but maybe instead of the Lancet you should research through your own local/state health department to get the details on local situation. Things have changed a lot since June as all health facilities, staff, & patients have learned the new procedures. Good luck.
posted by Nosey Mrs. Rat at 11:27 AM on October 12, 2020
You can do the PT via video call - they offered me this near the end of scheduled PT (started on it before coronavirus hit), but I was already doing well and had the list of exercises so declined.
I would also be far more worried about the PT than the op - Dr Hsu uses a private operating suite which is in a huge office building (shoulder surgeries are lower risk so often don't happen at hospitals), and the operating suite premises were very clean and there were very few people around in general.
A few weeks after my op the pain went away. I am still working on the range of motion. If I were you I would go ahead for getting rid of the pain even if the range of motion part will be slower, and not let anyone pressure you into going in for non-virtual PT until you feel safe. PT is a lot of people in one place exerting themselves and not used to strict clinical standards.
posted by meepmeow at 11:48 AM on October 12, 2020
I would also be far more worried about the PT than the op - Dr Hsu uses a private operating suite which is in a huge office building (shoulder surgeries are lower risk so often don't happen at hospitals), and the operating suite premises were very clean and there were very few people around in general.
A few weeks after my op the pain went away. I am still working on the range of motion. If I were you I would go ahead for getting rid of the pain even if the range of motion part will be slower, and not let anyone pressure you into going in for non-virtual PT until you feel safe. PT is a lot of people in one place exerting themselves and not used to strict clinical standards.
posted by meepmeow at 11:48 AM on October 12, 2020
That web page is like malpractice-level bad as medical journalism, even cutting some slack for the June publication date. Which is maybe unsurprising given that it’s basically clickbait written by (probably) a PR person at (definitely) a medical school in Barbados.
posted by mskyle at 11:48 AM on October 12, 2020 [7 favorites]
posted by mskyle at 11:48 AM on October 12, 2020 [7 favorites]
Covid is likely to be around for at least another year. Are you willing to wait and live in pain that long.
posted by tman99 at 11:55 AM on October 12, 2020
posted by tman99 at 11:55 AM on October 12, 2020
Like you, I freaked and put off some necessary surgery + followup procedures for a couple of months at the beginning of the pandemic, but when I finally bit the bullet and scheduled an appointment it was totally fine — I was in and out of medical facilities all summer without incident.
If 1 in 4 people were dying after surgery during the pandemic I promise you would have heard about it before googling "surgery complications covid" at 1 AM and landing on a clickbait press release from Hollywood Upstairs Medical College. Have the surgery, you will feel better, it'll be fine!!
posted by katiec at 12:18 PM on October 12, 2020 [3 favorites]
If 1 in 4 people were dying after surgery during the pandemic I promise you would have heard about it before googling "surgery complications covid" at 1 AM and landing on a clickbait press release from Hollywood Upstairs Medical College. Have the surgery, you will feel better, it'll be fine!!
posted by katiec at 12:18 PM on October 12, 2020 [3 favorites]
In April, I indefinitely put off surgery to repair a problem. Your description: "I’m in pain, I have reduced range of motion, but it’s been like this for a year and a half already" describes my situation exactly. I can't say I know what's best for you, uniquely, but I really regret putting it off because I'd be recovered by now.
posted by juniperesque at 12:34 PM on October 12, 2020
posted by juniperesque at 12:34 PM on October 12, 2020
Response by poster: before googling "surgery complications covid" at 1 AM and landing on a clickbait press release from Hollywood Upstairs Medical College.
Lol. I know that particular item is crap but it is in fact the one I landed on that freaked me out before reading the actual study.
Okay, well I think you’ve all done a pretty good job of talking me off the ledge. Thank you for taking the time to share your experiences. Metafriends to the rescue once again!
meepmeow, could you please check your MeMail?
posted by HotToddy at 1:21 PM on October 12, 2020
Lol. I know that particular item is crap but it is in fact the one I landed on that freaked me out before reading the actual study.
Okay, well I think you’ve all done a pretty good job of talking me off the ledge. Thank you for taking the time to share your experiences. Metafriends to the rescue once again!
meepmeow, could you please check your MeMail?
posted by HotToddy at 1:21 PM on October 12, 2020
I had a round of physical therapy this summer and it did not worry me too much. The hospital has good protective practices.
I am not sure if you can do all of your PT appts virtually but I definitely did some of mine that way, after the initial assessment.
posted by mai at 3:17 PM on October 12, 2020
I am not sure if you can do all of your PT appts virtually but I definitely did some of mine that way, after the initial assessment.
posted by mai at 3:17 PM on October 12, 2020
I'm with Nosey Mrs. Rat. I had a total knee replacement on Sept 16 here in the TriCities and went home the following morning. I like having a surgical center stay rather than the hospital. I also plan on having my other one done in December. Everyone has been extremely COVID aware and careful. The PT place is immaculate with proper spacing of clients and lots and lots of sanitizing going on. If you are in pain, get it done. I should have done this back in the spring and have lived with the pain much too long and it sounds as if you've gone through it a lot longer.
Hint: Buy something like the Beluga Pro arctic flow therapy system. It is a godsend for dealing with the pain with minimal medications. For the shoulder there is a special bladder system you can have velcro strapped on. I have been sleeping with my knee bladder on for almost a month now. I'm ready to let that go at this point.
Good luck! You'll do well!
posted by OkTwigs at 3:34 PM on October 12, 2020
Hint: Buy something like the Beluga Pro arctic flow therapy system. It is a godsend for dealing with the pain with minimal medications. For the shoulder there is a special bladder system you can have velcro strapped on. I have been sleeping with my knee bladder on for almost a month now. I'm ready to let that go at this point.
Good luck! You'll do well!
posted by OkTwigs at 3:34 PM on October 12, 2020
My wife had kidney stone surgery at Virginia Mason in early June, almost as fast as they felt comfortable getting her back in (she'd had a preliminary procedure in March, literally the day before most of Seattle started going into quarantine, and suffered with kidney stents for months). The safety and prophylactic procedures were top-notch; there were minimal people in the socially-distanced waiting rooms, family members were not allowed into recovery, everyone was masked more than usual for a hospital, etc. It turned out fine.
posted by lhauser at 6:25 PM on October 12, 2020
posted by lhauser at 6:25 PM on October 12, 2020
I had elective surgery in a July. There’s no way I would’ve done so with a one in four chance of dying! Hospitals wouldn’t operate if they were losing so many people. Most people don’t do anything with a one in four chance of death.
posted by kitten magic at 12:44 AM on October 13, 2020
posted by kitten magic at 12:44 AM on October 13, 2020
This thread is closed to new comments.
If you're in pain every day and you cannot do everyday tasks, and you are continuing to damage your shoulder by inaction, I cannot imagine surgery will not be a good intervention for you. Your shoulder is part of your body forever and I assume you have a lot of life ahead of you - I'd be thinking about the likelihood of permanent damage and pain as I weighed the decision to go through with the surgery.
Keep in mind you will likely have PT after your recovery period, and keeping up with PT is the best way to make your surgical intervention worth it -- are you willing to do PT, or are you too freaked out to visit a PT at all? Under what circumstances would see a PT? I see one about 1x/month right now, but she and I are the only people in the room and it's completely 1 on 1, masked, etc. I'd figure that out before I went through with it.
posted by Medieval Maven at 9:48 AM on October 12, 2020 [2 favorites]