Interview with Esther Hüttermann
Interview with Esther Hüttermann
Interview with Esther Hüttermann
We talk to Esther Hüttermann, Section Head of General and Visceral Surgery at the Groß-Gerau District Hospital. She tells us about the work of surgery in times of corona, describes the most common causes of colorectal cancer and explains the treatment to us.
Mrs Hüttermann, we have just left the fourth and fifth waves behind us. How was winter for you?
It is now the second winter of the pandemic that we have survived. Although the situation last winter was generally more stable in terms of the development of the coronavirus than in the previous winter, this cannot be applied equally to all departments and areas.
Specifically: How did the two last winters differ from each other and what did this mean specifically for surgery?
In the winter of 2020/2021, everything focused on Corona. As a Corona focus house, we mainly cared for Covid patients, in weddings we had up to 70 beds on the Corona normal ward. In order to deal with such a high number of Covid cases, we had to reduce other areas, wherever we could. We coordinated with other clinics, according to which operations and non-covid patients were moved to other homes in part in the absence of intensive care capacity. During this time, our team helped out in other wards, such as the intensive care unit. Normal hospital operations have been kept to a minimum to somehow get a handle on the pandemic.
This winter, on the other hand, we have far fewer Covid cases, but normal hospital operations continue. So Corona is still on top of normal operation, which is very exhausting. Every morning we have to reassess whether the bed capacity in both the normal ward and the intensive care unit is sufficient for our surgical plan. The number of emergency and urgent operations is increasing significantly, making it difficult to plan reliably. For us in surgery, this means: Who should be operated on today? Is an intensive care bed free for post-op monitoring? Do we have to postpone? How long can the patient wait? This is challenging – for us as doctors and nurses, but of course also for patients.
Where you address the patients...
There are other negative effects that Corona has on surgery patients. For example, many diseases are detected later. Because patients are less likely to take precautions as a result of the pandemic or avoid going to the hospital despite pain and other symptoms – out of concern for becoming infected.
How does this specifically affect medical conditions that you often treat?
I notice a particularly strong change in the area of colorectal cancer cases. Since the beginning of the pandemic, colorectal cancer operations have initially declined by 18 percent throughout Germany. This was also reflected in our work at the Kreisklinik. This was not due to the fact that there were fewer cases of colorectal cancer and that the disease was detected less frequently due to the decreasing number of doctor visits and preventive examinations. At the same time, the cases have become much more severe. At the moment, there is a significant increase in cancer cases at the district clinic. A large proportion of patients reach us through the ambulance due to abdominal pain or anemia.
In view of these developments: What do you advise (potential) patients to do?
It is clear that: The sooner diseases are detected, the better the chances of recovery. Patients, especially if they belong to relevant risk groups of certain diseases, should continue to undergo preventive examinations or make up for missed appointments due to the pandemic. Of course, this does not only apply to colorectal cancer. Therefore, I can only strongly advise to take care and follow-up appointments. Even with current complaints, a visit to the doctor should not be delayed for too long. All medical practices and clinics are now very well prepared to keep the risk of infection for their patients as low as possible.
Looking ahead to spring and the rest of the year, what are your wishes and hopes?
I hope that the federal and state governments will present a well thought-out and responsible concept for the planned opening and reduction of the corona measures, which will also regulate a possible new increase in the number of infections. I also hope that diseases that have received too little attention during the pandemic will come back into focus.
