The Effects of Delaying Routine Medical Care
Many people think that some health care appointments and procedures are considered elective. The word “elective” implies it is optional, but it just means it can be planned in advance and is non-emergent. Putting off your cataract surgery or colonoscopy to stay out of the hospital, doesn’t mean you don’t need the procedure.
By delaying routine medical care, you could be
affecting your long-term health as well as your quality of life.
Health Screenings Detect Disease Early When it is Most Treatable
Regular health screenings such as annual wellness visits,
diabetes screening, eye exams, colonoscopies, mammograms, and women’s health
visits are more than a check-in with your doctor—they detect disease. They
often detect disease or cancer early when it is most treatable.
Mammogram
Mammograms, like other screenings, have been proven to save
lives. Terri Bogan, Nurse Manager for the St. Elizabeth Breast Centers, says “There
is no reason to delay your screening mammogram. More than 90% of small
early-stage breast cancers are curable – which means early detection is a key
piece to identifying and treating breast cancer.”
The guideline is women ages 40 to 49 may have a mammogram
every 1 to 2 years. Women ages 50 to 75 should have a mammogram every 1 to 2
years depending on their risk factors, to check for breast cancer. Talk to your
provider about what is best for you.
Colonoscopy
Colon cancer affects about 1 in 20 people in the United
States and is one preventative screening you should schedule. Colon cancer
begins as polyps in the colon or rectum. Over time, these polyps can become
cancerous. A colonoscopy is one of the few cancer screening tests that can
discover cancer and remove it in the same procedure.
Ray Lynn Couch, APRN, a St. Elizabeth Physicians
Gastroenterology specialist says, “Delaying a colonoscopy can put you at risk
for developing cancer. A colonoscopy is not only screening for cancer, it is
preventing it, as we remove any polyps we find during the procedure.”
According to the American Cancer Society, you should start
having regular colonoscopies at age 45, and sooner if you are at high risk. If
you are in good health, you should continue to have colonoscopies every ten
years through the age of 75. If you have a family history of colorectal cancer
or have inflammatory bowel disease, your doctor may recommend screening earlier
and more often.
Surgery Options with a Quicker Recovery
St. Elizabeth Healthcare has always been at the forefront
of surgical innovation. Our minimally invasive surgical options and outpatient
procedures help you recover quicker, at home.
Minimally Invasive and Robotic-assisted Surgeries
Robotic surgery, or robot-assisted surgery, allows our doctors
to perform many types of complex procedures with more precision, flexibility,
and control than is possible with conventional techniques. Robotic surgery is
usually associated with minimally invasive surgery — procedures performed
through tiny incisions. It is also sometimes used in certain traditional open
surgical procedures. The benefits of minimally invasive surgery include:
- Fewer complications, such as surgical site infection
- Less pain and blood loss
- Quicker recovery
- Smaller, less noticeable scars
Same-day Joint Replacement
At St. Elizabeth Healthcare, we have also developed
advanced techniques that allow most knee and ankle replacements to be done as
same-day surgery. Hip and shoulder replacement surgery can also be done on an
outpatient basis if you meet certain criteria, and your pain can be controlled
after surgery.
Good Health Improves Your Quality of Life
Putting off health care can impact your daily life
significantly, from not seeing well while driving to living with debilitating
joint pain.
Dr. Michael Greiwe, shoulder replacement surgeon with
OrthoCincy Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine who practices at St. Elizabeth
Healthcare says it best, “We don’t want anyone living with pain, or having
their lifestyle significantly impacted when we can help them feel better.”
Joint Replacement Surgery
Delaying a joint replacement means you are living with the
pain longer. Often, pain isn’t’ the only issue, decreased mobility can make
your daily routine difficult. Delaying a joint replacement can cause more
damage to the joint. Arthritis deteriorates your joint, and allowing the joint
to deteriorate can cause bone and tendon deformities. This not only means more
pain and less function, it could also mean a more difficult recovery from
surgery.
Eye Exams
Annual eye exams can help detect disease and give you
relief from eye pain or loss of vision. Cataract surgery is a good example of
how delaying care can impact your daily life – including feeling unsafe driving
during the day or missing key parts of your life due to poor vision. If you
haven’t had your eyes checked in the last year, St. Elizabeth specialists
recommend a follow-up visit to re-establish the state and condition of your eye
health.
Women’s Health Visits
An alternative to being seen in the office is a virtual
visit. If you are having trouble with an overactive bladder, bladder control or
you think your pelvic organs are dropping, you may be able to start the process
with a virtual visit with our Urogynecology team. St. Elizabeth has a robust
virtual platform in place and encourage all of our patients to connect with our
office as a first step.
Dr. Sonali Raman, Lead Physician at St. Elizabeth
Physicians Urogynecology has spearheaded the transition to virtual visits and
pleased with the positive impact on patient care.
“Virtual visits are best right now unless you need to be seen
in person for an examination or in-office procedure,” says Dr. Raman. “Our
patients and their safety are our top priority, and we are committed to
providing them with optimal care – whether that is virtual or in person.”
St. Elizabeth: We’re Here for You
Dr. Heidi Murley, Chief Executive Officer and President, St. Elizabeth Physicians, says, “We are open to perform any procedure of appointment while meeting specific guidelines, we want to reassure patients that St. Elizabeth is safe and ready for you.”
