Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19)

What you need to know

The health and safety of our patients and staff is our top priority. Our policies regarding office visits, outpatient procedures and inpatient surgeries have changed. This is in response to the guidance we have recveived from Vancouver Coastal Health, https://www.fraserhealth.ca/, BC Ministry of Health, College of Physicians and Surgeons of BC and the World Health Organization.

It can be challenging to identify people who are infected. Many of the people for whom we care are elderly or immunocompromised because of cancer, so it's important for all of us to closely follow steps to protect themselves. Limiting contact to only that which is essential is important to preventing spread of COVID-19. Furthermore, the hospital has been shown to be a site of increased risk for acquisition of disease.

We are closely monitoring the situation which continues to change rapidly. We will update our policies accordingly.

Please cancel your OFFICE or HOSPITAL appointment by calling us if you have any of the following:

Fever, cough or shortness of breath
Contact with someone infected by COVID-19
Travel outside of Canda wihin the last 14 days
Awaiting the results of a COVID-19 test
Advised to self-isolate at home by a health authority

+ What is Metrovan Urology doing to protect patients and staff?

We have initiated a number of changes in concert with VCH (including Richmond Hospital) and FH (Delta Hospital) to respond to the unprecidented strain on the medical system.

Screening for patients prior to visits (see above)
Limiting patient contact and exposure: only essential physical exams, cystoscopy and surgery will be performed)
Restricting access to the office
All medical office staff have been vaccinated.

+ How do I prepare for Office and Telemedicine visits?

Please review the information on the Preparing for Your Appointment page.

+ What is the change to the office visit process?

Please refer to the advice above regarding when you should not come in person (these criteria also apply for anyone who may accompany you).

DO NOT COME TO THE OFFICE IF YOU ARE ILL, HAVE A COVID EXPOSURE OR HAVE QUESTIONS REGARDING COVID TESTING.

We continue to limit the number of family members who may accompany patients to in-office appointments.

There are only 2 exemptions:

ONE caregiver (parent or another patient) may accompany child
ONE caregiver to translate to English

Please do not come sooner than the scheduled time of your appointment.

Use the hand sanitizer found outside the door.

+ What do I need to know about cancelled surgery and other procedures?

We are doing everything possible to balance the risks of exposure to COVID-19 within the healthcare system with the risks presented by the disease. We are acutely sensitive to the anxiety and stress that any delay in treatment may cause. Hospitals have been identified as a source of infectious spread which is the result of their role in caring for those with the severest COVID-19 infections. Furthermore, every hospital has been required to reduce its capacity for surgery because of the need for ventilators and because of staff shortages as the front line health professionals require quarantine or become ill. In short, the healthcare system is experiencing unprecedented stress.

We are doing everything possible to minimize your exposure and this may mandate postponing procedures and diagnostic tests. As operating capacity improves, those patients who are most at risk will undergo surgery first.

Guidelines regarding the triage of patients requiring urological surgery have been developed. We are constantly working with the Health Authority and our partner hospitals to adjust to resource issues resulting from outbreaks, staffing issues and competing surgeries.

Our team of surgeons are assessing timing of surgery on a case by case basis patients at high risk of disability by a delay in surgery.