Son Espases specialists are carrying out operations at the Gynecology & Obstetrics Unit at the Red Cross facilities in Palma to try to make a dent in waiting lists
"This option was a very good solution because activity in our department increased but all of the operating rooms were busy," explains Dr Octavi Córdoba, Head of Gynecology at Son Espases. “We had to go elsewhere to operate on outpatients or do the procedures in the afternoon which complicated things because the patients need to stay in the hospital for a few hours after the procedures, which means they have to be done in the morning to be sure they can go home,” he added.
The results are so good that other services are considering moving low complexity surgeries to the Centre in Carrer d’Alfons el Magnànim.
Hospitals in the Balearic Islands have put non-essential operations on hold to keep beds available for patients with Covid-19, so moving Outpatient operations to the Centre is helping to reduce waiting lists.
20% of Gynecological procedures are performed at the Centre, as well as laparoscopies and on one occasion surgeons performed a mastectomy.
"It was really special, the operation went very well and the patient was able to recover at home,” said Dr Córdoba.
Urgent, emergency and oncological operations are still being performed at Son Espases Hospital, but deliveries are done at the referral Centre and all pregnant women are given a PCR test before they give birth, for the safety of patients and Healthcare Personnel.
Tracing
During the first wave of the pandemic, PCR tests were given to pregnant women even if they were asymptomatic and some of them tested positive for coronavirus.
"I must have about twenty female outpatients who have been diagnosed with Covid-19 and are quarantined in their homes, and they are all perfectly ok," says Dr. Córdoba. “We’ve never had so many Covid-19 patients, but thanks to Primary Care tracing, more infections in pregnant women are being identified.