Louisiana's statewide mandate to postpone nonemergency surgeries could endanger some patients, according to Chad Domangue, MD, a neurologist, psychiatrist and pain management physician interviewed by local CBS affiliate WWL TV.
Each month, there are about 700 elective procedures performed at the hospital where Dr. Domangue works. He said that includes spine, heart, kidney and lung treatments.
With surgery centers and cardiologists across the state also putting procedures on hold, Dr. Domangue estimated that nearly 200,000 cases are postponed.
One of Dr. Domangue's patients now has to wait two months to get a mastectomy for breast cancer, he said. A different patient who spoke to WWL TV said she is waiting to undergo neck and back surgery after being involved in a car crash — and that the stress it's causing is unmatched.
The Louisiana Department of Health's guidelines leave room for clinical judgment, but Dr. Domangue said physicians are concerned about losing their medical licenses for proceeding with any cases.
Moreover, while waiting for care, some patients are taking higher doses of pain medicine than what they were prescribed, according to Dr. Domangue.
"Half the hospital staff doctors and nurses have been sent home because they can't do elective surgeries. And so what I fear is this bomb is growing and growing and growing," he said.