Hamilton hospital cancels cardiac surgeries for entire day last week amid influx of COVID-19 patients
Hamilton General Hospital had to cancel all cardiac surgeries for an entire day last week as it scrambled to free up resources to care for COVID-19 patients in its intensive care unit.
The hospital said in a news release that seven of its eight extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) machines were being used to help unvaccinated COVID-19 patients breathe on Sept. 10, forcing hospital administrators to make the difficult decision to cancel a day’s worth of planned procedures.
The machines essentially take over the work of the heart and lungs by pulling blood from the body and oxygenating it.
They are increasingly used to treat the sickest COVID-19 patients but they are also required by those undergoing cardiac surgeries, hence the dilemma.
“Those choosing to be unvaccinated are endangering others and themselves – they don’t need to be sick and in hospital,” Dr. Craig Ainsworth, Director of the Cardiac Care Unit at Hamilton General Hospital, said in the release. “My colleagues and I are fully vaccinated, we support hospital policy and expect that everyone will follow the science. It’s the right thing to do.”
Scheduled surgeries and procedures were largely put on hold during the third wave of the pandemic but were allowed to resume in June as case counts declined.
The cancellation of cardiac surgeries at Hamilton General Hospital last week comes as hospitalization numbers slowly rise, prompting concerns about renewed strain on the wider healthcare system.
As of Monday, there were 189 COVID-19 patients in intensive care units across Ontario. At Hamilton General there were 38 patients with confirmed cases of COVID-19, including 14 in the ICU.
“Sending home a 50-year-old patient with a weak heart and disease that carries high risk of sudden death is wrong. But we are starting to have no choice,” Dr. Richard Whitlock, a cardiac surgeon for Hamilton Health Sciences, said in a message posted to Twitter. “Our centre is now focusing on the sickest of COVID, those requiring ECMO. This proportion seems higher this wave as we are very early into it and we have already almost reached the peak number that needed ECMO in the 3rd wave.”
Ontario’s Financial Accountability Office has previously projected that the cancelled surgery backlog will reach 419,200 procedures by the end of September.
It has said that it could take the province three-and-a-half years to clear the backlog and that is assuming that hospitals are able to operate at 111 per cent capacity going forward.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Iran fires air defence batteries in provinces as sound of explosions heard near Isfahan
Iran fired air defence batteries early Friday morning after reports of explosions near the city of Isfahan, the state-run IRNA news agency reported.
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer denied bail after being charged with killing Canadian couple
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer, one of two men charged in the killings of a Canadian couple in Dominica, has been denied bail.
Nearly half of China's major cities are sinking, researchers say
Nearly half of China's major cities are suffering 'moderate to severe' levels of subsidence, putting millions at risk of flooding especially as sea levels rise.
Prince Harry formally confirms he is now a U.S. resident
Prince Harry, the son of King Charles III and fifth in line to the British throne, has formally confirmed he is now a U.S. resident.
Judge says 'no evidence fully supports' murder case against Umar Zameer as jury starts deliberations
The judge presiding over the trial of a man accused of fatally running over a Toronto police officer is telling jurors the possible verdicts they may reach based on the evidence in the case.
Health Canada to change sperm donor screening rules for men who have sex with men
Health Canada will change its longstanding policy restricting gay and bisexual men from donating to sperm banks in Canada, CTV News has learned. The federal health agency has adopted a revised directive removing the ban on gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men, effective May 8.
Colin Jost names one celebrity who is great at hosting 'Saturday Night Live'
Colin Jost, who co-anchors Saturday Night Live's 'Weekend Update,' revealed who he thinks is one of the best hosts on the show.
Sports columnist apologizes for 'oafish' comments directed at Caitlin Clark. The controversy isn't over
A male columnist has apologized for a cringeworthy moment during former University of Iowa superstar and college basketball's highest scorer Caitlin Clark's first news conference as an Indiana Fever player.
'Shopaholic' author Sophie Kinsella reveals brain cancer diagnosis
Sophie Kinsella, the best-selling author behind the 'Shopaholic' book series, has revealed that she is receiving treatment for brain cancer.