Kolkata: The ongoing heatwave has led many to defer their planned surgeries. While peak summer usually sees a drop in the number of procedures, since patients and their families prefer to wait until the weather improves, the continuing scorching spell, which has seen maximum temperatures soar past the 40°C mark frequently, has triggered a flurry of operation cancellations at some hospitals.Deferring critical surgeries could be risky, warned surgeons.
At AMRI Hospitals, elective surgeries, particularly general and orthopedic, which are not emergency ones, have gone down by almost 25% in the last two weeks. The most likely reason, according to the authorities, is the ongoing heatwave. “Even gastrointestinal, dental, and other surgeries that can be rescheduled by a couple of weeks are getting postponed. Most of these patients are from Kolkata, neighboring districts, western districts of Bengal, and some from Jharkhand and Bihar,” said an AMRI representative.
There has been a 30% drop in occupancy at Peerless Hospital due to a ‘combined effect of the heat and elections’ according to Peerless Hospital CEO Sudipta Mitra. As a result, surgeries, too, are set to decline sharply over the next fortnight. “Since there has been a drop in patient flow at the OPD as well, surgeries will also come down. So far, we haven’t seen a drop, but it will soon happen. The number is unlikely to rise until the elections end. We get a large number of surgical patients from across south Bengal, who will be voting during the next three to four phases,” said Mitra.
At Charnock Hospital, surgeries are being deferred across various departments at the request of patients who are keen to avoid the sweltering heat. This includes orthopaedics, gynaecology and general surgery, part from joint replacements, gynaecological procedures and gallstone or prostate removal surgeries.
A scheduled heart bypass surgery was deferred at Charnock this week at the request of the patient’s son who cited concerns about the potential health risks associated with traveling in such high temperatures, said Charnock MD Prashant Sharma. “He was scared that the weather could exacerbate his father’s condition. Currently, he is under medication, with our cardiothoracic surgeon overseeing his treatment via telemedicine until the surgery can be rescheduled,” said Sharma. While planned surgeries are being postponed, essential life-saving procedures and deliveries, including cesarean sections, continue to be performed, he added.
BP Poddar Hospital has seen a ‘substantial number’ of operative case patients requesting to defer their surgery dates due to the heatwave.
“The request percentage is around 35. Most are knee or hip replacements where the relative risk of delay is almost nil. We are counselling patients to avoid unnecessary delays that may lead to untoward complications. Many people tend to neglect an enlarged prostate thinking that the growth is very slow. But the benign growth can turn malignant, leading to prostate cancer,” said Supriyo Chakrabarty, group advisor at BP Poddar Hospital.
Delaying surgery to remove uterine fibroids or a hysterectomy can cause fibroids to become cancerous, leading to uterine or cervical cancer, doctors pointed out. “Once patients understand these risks, they agree to reschedule their surgeries earlier at a convenient date,” said Chakrabarty.