The COVID-19 pandemic has affected all aspects of our life from simple tasks such as grocery shopping to difficult decisions like deciding when and if to have surgery.
Understandably, COVID-19 has made patients hesitant to undergo foot or ankle surgery. While there is no fail-safe method for preventing transmission of the virus, your foot and ankle orthopaedic surgeon and the hospitals and clinics where they work are taking precautions to minimize the risk of potential infection.
Although guidelines may vary at each facility, you can expect many of the following precautions to be in place to ensure safety during foot and ankle surgery:
Limiting/prohibiting family members from being in the building with the patient at the time of surgery
Temperature screening of all staff daily and of the patient prior to surgery
Screening of all patients for COVID-19 prior to undergoing surgery. Patients who test positive are not allowed to have elective surgery. Some facilities will allow urgent and emergent cases.
Minimizing the amount of time in the healthcare facility. Many foot and ankle procedures can be performed safely as outpatient procedures, meaning you arrive and leave the same day.
Use of personal protective equipment when interacting with the patient and while in the healthcare facility
Minimizing physical contact with shared surfaces/objects
Regular sanitizing of the healthcare facility
Although the pandemic has affected foot and ankle surgery, it is critical that you prioritize your individual health and not delay surgery you need. Ask your foot and ankle orthopaedic surgeon about the precautions that are being taken at their facility. With these procedures in place, you can expect your surgery to be performed safely.
Written by Sudheer Reddy, MD
The American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society (AOFAS) offers information on this site as an educational service. The content of FootCareMD, including text, images, and graphics, is for informational purposes only. The content is not intended to substitute for professional medical advice, diagnoses or treatments. If you need medical advice, use the "Find a Surgeon" search to locate a foot and ankle orthopaedic surgeon in your area.
