As the curve of new COVID-19 cases begins to flatten in the United States, the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) is providing guidelines for patients due for surgery.
“Physicians, hospitals and health systems are eager to resume elective surgeries and patients are looking to have the procedures they planned, before the pandemic put everything on hold,” said ASA President Mary Dale Peterson, MD, MSHCA, FACHE, FASA. “Health systems can ensure these procedures resume safely by following ASA guidance.”
Partnering with other associations, ASA developed a roadmap to help health care organizations safely resume elective surgeries by assessing readiness, prioritization and scheduling. Patients can use the following checklist to ensure their comfort in moving forward with surgery:
- Cases are decreasing.
- All patients are tested.
- The procedure will be performed in a safe environment.
- Your physicians are there to answer your questions and concerns.
