elective surgery Archives

Poor public health planning no excuse – Dr Anton Van Heerden

The pandemic and our response to it has impacted all facets of life. In particular, the sweeping bans on elective surgery have had a devastating impact on community health, none more so than cataract surgery. As we know, this is a quick, highly effective means to reverse blindness. Read More

pcm_adminApril 7, 2022, 11:05 amAugust 9, 2023

VIC elective surgery to return to 100% capacity by end of month

All elective surgery across Victorian public and private hospitals can resume by the end of the month, as the Omicron wave continues to subside and stabilise, the state government has announced.
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Myles HumeFebruary 16, 2022, 8:06 amFebruary 16, 2022

Melbourne ophthalmologist questions logic behind ban as elective surgery resumes

A Victorian ophthalmologist has been critical of the state government’s month-long ban on non-urgent elective surgery, as cataract patients sat at home with deteriorating quality of life while day surgeries remained empty ready to operate.
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Myles HumeFebruary 9, 2022, 8:23 amFebruary 9, 2022

Private hospitals must ‘pick up the slack’ amid ophthalmology elective surgery blow out

The Australian Private Hospitals Association (APHA) believes private hospitals should play an essential role in clearing the backlog of public elective surgeries. It comes as fresh data shows wait times for ophthalmic procedures increased by 6.5 weeks in 2020-21 compared to pre-pandemic levels and have more than doubled to 172 days for cataract surgery.
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Myles HumeFebruary 1, 2022, 6:00 amJanuary 31, 2022

RANZCO welcomes postponement of elective surgery

RANZCO has joined specialist medical colleges across Aotearoa/New Zealand and Australia to support the temporary postponement of all non-urgent elective surgery in areas of high prevalence of COVID-19 infection.
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pcm_adminAugust 27, 2021, 8:29 amSeptember 1, 2021

Elective surgery post-COVID

An elective surgery shutdown as part of the COVID-19 response wreaked havoc on an already-stretched hospital system last year. Insight checks in on how each state is faring one year on.
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rhiannon bowmanMarch 29, 2021, 10:19 amMarch 29, 2021

NSW cataract patients waiting 71 days longer post-COVID

The Australian Society of Ophthalmologists (ASO) has criticised major public hospitals in New South Wales for operating at 20% capacity or less, contributing to a wait time blow out for ophthalmic patients who now spend 330 days on average before receiving an operation.
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Myles HumeDecember 16, 2020, 6:05 amDecember 16, 2020

Restrictions easing for Victorian optometrists and ophthalmic surgery

Optometrists in regional Victoria can return to ‘business as usual’ with a COVID-safe plan, while their counterparts in metropolitan Melbourne can expect to provide a broader range of face-to-face care from Monday 28 September.
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Myles HumeSeptember 18, 2020, 9:30 amSeptember 23, 2020

Private sector apprehensive to perform public surgery ‘blitz’ at discount rates

Surgeons in private hospitals will be reluctant to help clear the public elective surgery backlog for the Medicare schedule fee rate, according to medical lobbyists who believe the work should be contracted as a last resort and at the standard commercial rate. Read More

Myles HumeAugust 12, 2020, 7:32 amAugust 12, 2020

When should patients be operated on post-SARS-CoV-2 infection?

RANZCO has warned that patients diagnosed with SARS-CoV-2 in close proximity to their elective surgery may be at risk of post-operative complications, as it released new guidelines on the appropriate timing for surgery on patients who have recovered from active infection.
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Myles HumeAugust 12, 2020, 7:20 amAugust 12, 2020

elective surgery