In an effort to make medical professionals and supplies to treat the novel coronavirus more available, the Trump administration advised the delay of non-essential procedures across the country Wednesday.
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What’s the difference between essential and non-essential procedures?
According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, each patient has two choices for surgery, depending on their diagnosis. The governing structure for the University’s School of Medicine and the health system explains that:
An elective surgery does not always mean it is optional. It simply means that the surgery can be scheduled in advance. It may be a surgery you choose to have for a better quality of life, but not for a life-threatening condition. But in some cases it may be for a serious condition such as cancer. Examples of elective surgery include removing a mole or wart, and having kidney stones removed. It may also be done if other forms of treatment are not working.
Alternatively, urgent or emergency surgery is a type of surgery is done because of an urgent medical condition. The condition may even be life threatening. Examples are acute appendicitis and trauma.
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