NEW TODAY--HAVE YOU HAD TOPUSH BACK A PLANNED SURGERYBECAUSE OF COVID-19?THISMORNING, TOM DURIAN EXPLORESWHY NOW MIGHT BE THE áBESTTIME TO TALK TO YOUR DOCTORAND GET IT DONE.DEBBIE DORAN IS AN AVIDEXERCISER AND TRAVELER, BUTSIDELINED BY KNEE PAIN."Icouldn't walk.

My knee hurtthat bad."THEN, COVID-19SIDELINED HER KNEE REPLACEMENTSURGERY TWIC"Because of COVID, it wascancelled.

And, then werescheduled for April.

And, itwas cancelled.AS ELECTIVESURGERIES BEGIN TO RESUME,SOME DOCTORS ARE RECOMMENDINGTHEIR PATIENTS HAVE SURGERYNOW IN CASE THERE IS ANOTHERSPIKE IN COVID CASES.I tell mypatients now is the best timeto getsurgery because if itgets bad, we may have tocancel elective surgeries orat least postpone them again."BUT IS GETTING SURGERY AT THEHOSPITAL SAFE?"Other thanstaying home, it's about thesafest place you can possiblygo.""We keep up to date withall the most currentguidelines put out there bythe Department of PublicHealth as well as the CDC."FORELECTIVE SURGERIES, HOSPITALSARE IMPLEMENTING NEW PROTOCOLSTO KEEP EVERYONE SAFE."We do ascreening out front beforethey come in.

Check theirtemperatures.

Check for anysymptoms. We are testing allof our patients for COVIDbefore they come in forsurgery."AND FOR HIGH-RISKPROCEDURES, A CLEAR DRAPE ORPLASTIC BOX IS PLACED OVERPATIENTS TO REDUCE THE RISK OFSPREAD.

áAFTER MONTHS OFWAITING, DEBBIE IS FINALLYABLE TO HAVE HER KNEEREPLACEMENT SURGERY."Ithought, you know what, whynot just get this over withbecause I got a lot of livingto do here."INCLUDING WATCHINGONE OF HER DAUGHTERS WALK DOWNTHE YEAR