Allyson Black (R), a registered nurse, cares for COVID-19 patients in a makeshift ICU (Intensive Care Unit) at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center on January 21, 2021 in Torrance, California. (Photo by Mario Tama / Getty Images)
PHOENIX – With Arizona’s COVID-19 winter wave receding for the first time in months, the state’s largest hospital system will cautiously resume elective surgeries for the first time this year.
“Because of the downward trends we see in cases and hospitalizations, we have made the decision to partially resume elective surgeries at Banner hospitals on January 25,” said Dr. Marjorie Bessel, clinical director of Banner Health, during a press conference on Friday.
“Surgeons that can be resumed include outpatient and those that do not require more than one night’s stay without ICU care.”
Banner stopped elective surgeries on Jan. 1 amid the rapid rise in COVID-19 cases and patients suffering from serious complications.
“Our hospitals will look a little different as we move forward to do some of these surgical procedures for patients who have already been waiting more than three weeks to have the procedure done,” he said.
Bessel said that depending on conditions, staffing and other factors, some Banner facilities could decide that it is better to continue the moratorium.
However, procedures classified as “elective” are still medically necessary and delays can be dangerous.
“If they are postponed too long, they could become emerging medical problems that then require hospitalization or subsequent ICU care,” he said.
The number of patients hospitalized with COVID-19 confirmed or suspected at all Arizona hospitals fell to 4,495 on Thursday, the lowest since Dec. 28.
The hospital’s rise, which began in early November and had an overload of travel and meetings during the Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year holidays, peaked on January 11. with more than 5,082 patients admitted, including 1,183 in ICUs.
“We are very happy to reduce hospitalizations,” Bessel said. “However, it requires us to be vigilant because there is still a lot of uncontrolled outreach in our communities.”
Banner models predict a slower recovery from the current wave than the one that occurred after the summer hike.
“We expect to reach pre-hypertension hospitalization levels, but not for another 10 to 11 weeks,” Bessel said.