Spine Care in the Age of COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic has swept the world and affected every part of our lives. As a result, the worldwide economy has ground to a halt, and we are all rethinking how to conduct our lives — from simple tasks like grocery shopping to how we travel or take a vacation.

Healthcare — how we see a doctor or have elective surgery — has been impacted like everything else. The system now faces two major tasks at once: caring for COVID-19 patients while continuing to deliver care to patients with other, less life-threatening conditions.

Why elective surgeries were paused

Because of the life-threatening nature of COVID-19, infected patients naturally take precedence. That is why most elective surgeries and procedures were cancelled. Doing so allowed the healthcare system to focus on COVID patients while preserving personal protective equipment (PPE) — gloves, gowns, and masks — that patients and caregivers need.

As the country emerges from the initial phase of the pandemic, attention is turning to how best to safely care for patients who need elective procedures such as spine surgery.

Keeping surgical patients safe

Most healthcare providers are following recommended safety precautions, which generally include:

• Screening before entry. Patients have their temperature checked and complete a brief survey about COVID-19 exposure or symptoms before entering a facility.
• Testing before surgery. Some facilities administer a nasal-swab test to check for active infection. If positive, the procedure is rescheduled; if negative, patients are asked to quarantine until the day of surgery to limit the chance of becoming infected beforehand.
• Limited access on surgery day. Access is limited to the patients having surgery. Family members drop the patient off and return home, and are updated on the outcome afterward.
• PPE and disinfection. Staff wear masks, gowns, and gloves with every patient, since asymptomatic carriers cannot be told apart from unexposed patients. Operating rooms are thoroughly disinfected between surgeries.

Changes in the office

In the office, steps are being taken to help patients feel safe and comfortable: appointments are spaced further apart to allow social distancing and time to disinfect rooms, patients check in online and wait in their cars rather than the waiting room, and masks are worn while in the office.

The rise of telemedicine

Perhaps the greatest innovation for easing patients' concerns — while still providing access to spine care — is telemedicine. Patients can now schedule an initial visit or a re-check from the comfort of their home or workplace. For privacy reasons, the telemedicine platform is more secure than a simple video call, but just as convenient. Its advantages include no need to travel, the ability to be seen while under quarantine, and no time wasted in a waiting room. Prescriptions for medications, therapy, or additional studies can also be ordered and sent directly to their destinations without the patient having to travel.

The pandemic has significantly changed how we treat patients. Safety will be greatly enhanced once we have better testing and a vaccine — but until then, precautions and new technologies like telemedicine allow patients to receive the spine care and healthcare they need and deserve.