Insights & News

Spine surgery is considered for someone after all of their non-operative treatment options have been exhausted. It is a decision the surgeon and the patient make together following proper consultation and investigations, including radiological imaging.

With COVID-19 expected to remain a serious health concern around the world for many months to come, it is understandable people are questioning whether or not they should postpone a visit to a specialist and/or surgery during this time.

The Australian Government temporarily suspended all non-urgent elective surgery in April to ensure adequate hospital capacity to respond to COVID-19. However, with case numbers now low, restrictions are slowly easing to ensure the hospital system can still respond if needed. A survey by the Australian Medical Association (AMA) in May found patients were avoiding seeing their doctors during the pandemic. The AMA said this was worrying “because it means there could be a lot of serious illness going undiagnosed and untreated”.

At NSW Spine Specialists, we are now offering telehealth consultations where appropriate. We are also taking a number of extra precautions during face-to-face consultations to protect the health of our patients and staff.

These additional safety measures include:

• Providing alcohol-based hand sanitiser at reception desks
• Spacing out chairs in waiting rooms
• Restricting the number of patients visiting our consultation rooms at one time
• Cleaning consultation rooms after every patient interaction
• Recording the temperatures of staff twice a day and making sure they stay home when they are not feeling well.

At the hospitals we operate at; staff and patients are also undergoing routine screening before entering the building, social distancing measures have been implemented and visitor numbers restricted. This is on top of the infection control measures that were already in place: hand hygiene, personal protective equipment to stop healthcare workers being exposed to blood and body fluids/substances and the cleaning and disinfection of environmental services.

We understand that you may have additional questions around spine consultations/surgeries during this time and encourage you to contact us on 1300 975 800.