By Marion Filler
The state’s two-month ban on elective surgeries was lifted this week. Which means it’s time for the joint replacement you’ve been putting off, according to Dr. James Wittig, chairman of orthopedic surgery at Morristown Medical Center.
“Don’t delay health care anymore,” Wittig advised in a webcast on Wednesday. If the pandemic returns in the fall, “you are much better off being mobile than immobile.”
Wittig sought to allay fears of chaos and contagion in the hospital.
“It is extremely peaceful and organized on all the COVID floors,” he said.
COVID-19 patients occupy between 10- and 15 percent of beds in the entire Atlantic Health System, and they are housed in entirely separate units. They are kept in negative pressure rooms and treated by staff wearing protective gear.
These patients do not come into contact with other patients, said Wittig. COVID patients are led through “seamless pathways,” so they never use the same elevators or equipment as others in the hospital. Rooms are sterilized with ultra-violet light and disinfectants, he said.
All surgical patients are tested 72 hours before a procedure and are asked to stay at home in isolation before the day of surgery.
The moratorium on elective procedures was to ensure enough beds for COVID-19 patients. With the crisis substantially diminished, that ban was lifted on Tuesday.
“It’s very exciting to be using our surgical skills to make people better and get them back on their feet,” Wittig said, adding it felt good to be reunited with surgical staff members who were deployed to other locations during the peak of the pandemic.
“Our first day was almost back to normal,” except for social distancing in somewhat empty waiting rooms, he said.
How should a patient who postponed surgery now proceed? Re-contact your surgeon; physicians will prioritize the lineup based on the seriousness of the condition, Wittig said.
If you’ve developed a problem that requires surgery, speak to your primary care doctor for a referral or go to “find a doctor” on the Atlantic Health website, he said.
The best place for post-surgical recovery usually is at home, Wittig added. Eighty-five percent of all joint replacement patients go home to recover; about half of them need home care from visiting nurses, physical therapists or telemedicine conferences with a doctor.
The other half are fine on their own, Wittig said.
For those who need more help, the hospital has a list of recommended rehabilitation facilities.
Lessons of the pandemic include greater use of telemedicine, Wittig said. Having a doctor’s appointment in your own home can beat driving to the office, hunting for parking, and sitting in a crowded waiting room, he said.
Extreme pain or a cancer diagnosis are obvious reasons to schedule appointments immediately. But so are non-specific symptoms that could become critical if unattended, Wittig asserted.
He said that goes for orthopedic patients. If you need to repair a torn ACL or meniscus, fix bad bunions, or replace a knee or hip, “now is the time to seek your care.”
