Consequences of Delaying Medical and Surgical Care

woman experiencing lower back pain

In the face of important surgical procedures, it can be easy to come up with reasons to postpone medical care. We may believe that our bodies will heal naturally, the surgery is too costly or we simply don’t have the time to spare.

Regardless of the severity of your medical situation, there are consequences of delaying medical and surgical care. Even if your orthopedic surgery or medical treatment doesn’t seem like an urgent matter, it could quickly become one without the right care. If you’re thinking about delaying surgery, it’s important to consider the possible repercussions.

Consequences of Surgical Delays

Whether you’re afraid of undergoing a surgical procedure, wary of the cost or simply believe you can heal on your own, you may have considered postponing medical care. However, delaying surgery can have consequences. From emotional to financial to health complications, delaying surgery can cause more harm than good.

Increased Emotional Distress

The longer you wait to have an important surgery, the more distressed you may become. The anticipation of an upcoming operation has been proven to cause drastic increases in anxiety for patients. This anxiety negatively impacts mental health, often leading individuals to believe they’re exhibiting more symptoms than they actually are, which makes it difficult for doctors to accurately monitor symptoms.

Worsening Conditions

Postponing medical care can result in worsening medical conditions. Temporarily delaying surgery may not seem like a big deal if your health complication isn’t major or life-threatening, but small problems can quickly progress when not properly treated in time.

For example, if you have an obstructed gallbladder that doesn’t necessarily prompt urgent care, neglecting to operate can cause it to gradually become more inflamed and clogged, resulting in greater pain and lower quality of life.

Do not postpone medical care if you are experiencing any of these conditions:

  • Open fractures
  • Nerve damage
  • Joint infections
  • Internal bleeding
  • Weakness or pain in the arms or neck
  • Difficulty breathing
  • Possible broken bones

These symptoms can be indicative of a serious health issue and should be examined immediately.

Continuous Treatment

When health conditions worsen, patients often make recurrent emergency room visits to receive temporary treatment for their symptoms. The more you make frequent ER trips to compensate for surgery, the more money you end up spending. When you follow through with medical treatment, you decrease the need for continuous symptom management and save money on future procedures.

Need for Emergency Surgery

If you neglect to receive medical care for your symptoms and pain, a simple surgery could become a much more urgent matter, eventually calling for emergency surgery or resulting in permanent damage. It’s better to tackle a small health issue than wait until you require complex procedures. A major operation can be more costly and require more recovery time.

Contact OrthoBethesda for Medical Care

At OrthoBethesda, we value the health and safety of our patients. Our skilled physicians administer high-quality orthopedic care including x-rays, physical therapy, medication prescription, surgery and post-operative evaluations so you can get on the road to recovery.

Contact us for more information or schedule an online appointment today.

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