Patient information leaflets

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Cancer surgery at the time of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic

Cancer surgery at the time of the coronavirus pandemic

On 11 March 2020 the World Health Organisation confirmed coronavirus has now spread all over the world (this means it is a ‘pandemic’).  The coronavirus pandemic is placing huge demands on the entire health service.  Barts Health will do everything we can to provide essential cancer surgery at this time.

1. If your surgery is routine (rather than urgent), it is likely your doctor will recommend a delay.
2. If your operation is urgent the risks of delaying your surgery needs to be balanced against the risks of having your surgery during the pandemic.  If you catch the coronavirus soon after your surgery, this could slow your recovery. Some people who catch coronavirus will get a chest infection, some may need to go to intensive care and some may die.

Your healthcare team will talk with you about the balance of the risks between waiting until the pandemic is over (this could be many months) or going ahead with your surgery.

Matters for you to consider:

Your assessment and care may be disrupted, delayed or performed differently during the pandemic.

Coming to hospital might increase your chances of contracting coronavirus, or you may be already carrying it when you come for your operation.

If coronavirus infection occurs when you have surgery or while you are in hospital after your surgery, it could make your recovery slower and increase your risk of serious illness, or death.

• If you decide to proceed, we will do everything we can to perform your operation, keep you safe, minimise the possibility of infection (hospitals have thorough infection control procedures), and to provide you with information at all stages. We will listen to your concerns and discuss them with you.

• If you decide to delay your operation (we would understand your reasons for this) please be aware that future dates for surgery may take much longer than normal to arrange.

Below are examples of the ways in which your surgical care may be different to normal.

Before your operation

•         Some of your consultations may take place by telephone or by email and letter.

•         We may rely on your local hospital to send important tests results and letters to us.

•         We may ask you to email or post a copy of your medical information to us.

•         Your anaesthetic assessment may be by telephone with a nurse, and possibly an anaesthetist.

•         We will arrange for you to have a coronavirus test 2-4 days before your operation.

•        We advise that you and your household self-isolate for 7 days at home before your surgery.

•         Your operation will be postponed if you test positive or are unwell with coronavirus symptoms.

Your operation

•         Your operation may not take place at the hospital site that you were expecting.

•         Circumstances will be very different in the hospital. Wards will be reorganised, and staff will be wearing personal protective equipment such as a mask and, or visor.

•         You may not meet your surgeons until the day of your operation and they might not be the ones you expected. They will still be senior cancer surgeons from Barts Health, experienced and trained to perform your operation.

•         It is likely you will not be able to have any family and friends visit while you are in hospital. Our staff will be there to support you at all times, including where possible assisting setting up video calls with your family and friends.

After your operation

•         We will be doing everything we can to discharge you from the hospital as early as is safely possible, to minimise the risk of you contracting coronavirus during your recovery.

•         You may be moved elsewhere to a ‘step-down’ unit to complete your recovery before being discharged to home.

•         When you are discharged, we will ensure you have our contact details. If you are experiencing any difficulty, you will be able to contact the team at any point for advice and support.

•         We will advise for 2 weeks after your surgery that you minimise contact with others, to reduce the risk of contracting coronavirus during your recovery.

•         After you have gone home, you will have an appointment to come to the hospital to check your recovery and explain if you need any additional anti-cancer treatment.

•         Some follow up care may be back at your local hospital.

•         If you or we have any concerns that we need to see you in person, we will arrange to see you at the hospital as soon as necessary

Resources for information and support

Patient.co.uk

Website: www.patient.co.uk

Comprehensive health information website

Macmillan Cancer

Website: www.macmillan.org.uk

Telephone support line: 0808 808 00 00 (Mon-Sun 9am - 5pm)

Email: cancerline@macmillan.org.uk

Provides telephone, online and printed information on all types of cancer, treatments, care and support. Online community includes groups and blogs.

Large print and other languages
This information can be made available in alternative formats, such as easy read or large print, and may be available in alternative languages, upon request. For more information, speak to your clinical team.
 

এই তথ্যগুলো সহজে পড়া যায় অথবা বৃহৎ প্রিন্টের মত বিকল্প ফরম্যাটে পাওয়া যাবে, এবং অনুরোধে অন্য ভাষায়ও পাওয়া যেতে পারে। আরো তথ্যের জন্য আপনার ক্লিনিক্যাল টিমের সাথে কথা বলুন।

Na żądanie te informacje mogą zostać udostępnione w innych formatach, takich jak zapis większą czcionką lub łatwą do czytania, a także w innych językach. Aby uzyskać więcej informacji, porozmawiaj ze swoim zespołem specjalistów.

Macluumaadkaan waxaa loo heli karaa qaab kale, sida ugu akhrinta ugu fudud, ama far waa weyn, waxana laga yabaa in lagu heli luuqaado Kale, haddii la codsado. Wixii macluumaad dheeraad ah, kala hadal kooxda xarunta caafimaadka.

Bu bilgi, kolay okunurluk veya büyük baskılar gibi alternatif biçimlerde sunulabilir, ve talep üzerine Alternatif Dillerde sunulabilir. Daha fazla bilgi için klinik ekibinizle irtibata geçin.

یہ معلومات متبادل فارمیٹس میں دستیاب کی جا سکتی ہیں، جیسا کہ پڑھنے میں آسان یا بڑا پرنٹ  اور درخواست پر متبادل زبانوں میں بھی دستیاب ہو سکتی ہیں۔ مزید معلومات کے لیے، اپنی کلینکل ٹیم سے بات کریں'۔

Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS)

Please contact us if you need general information or advice about Trust services: www.bartshealth.nhs.uk/pals

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Reference: BH/PIN/968

Publication date: Dec 2021

All our patient information leaflets are reviewed every three years.

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