During registration we evaluated 110 patients who were hopeful that they'd be selected for surgery. In the registration process a patient is routed through 5 stations where personal information, photos, vitals, surgical, anesthesiology and speech therapy exams are performed. The need for the tests is to assess the physical condition of the patient, the suitability of the patient's need for surgery with the medical team's ability to provide it, and whether the patient's age or other physical or medical complications may impair a successful surgery.
The medical team meets and confers at the completion of the exams to screen the patients for the ones most likely to have a good outcome. Those patients are then scheduled into the calendar for the two available operating rooms over the five days of surgeries.
The possible complications in this process are huge. So, at the end of the day when the surgery schedules are announced there are two groups feeling very strong emotions. There is the group who was selected and feels the elation of receiving life changing surgery at no cost, as well as a sense of fear and intimidation at the thought of going through surgery. The second group are those who were declined and may have come from a long distance at a significant cost. Their disappointment is evident and understandable. No one wants to deny a patient, especially in an area where the need is so great.
