As the novel coronavirus wave started to roll across Canada, transplant centres had to make difficult decisions: how best to protect patients who need transplant surgeries and create space for COVID-19 patients.
Toronto General Hospital is the country’s largest transplant program and one of the top in the world. It is a centre for innovation and care for patients from several provinces, so the decision to scale back surgeries was difficult for everyone.
“When we do a transplant, we put patients on anti-rejection pills and that means really knocking down their immune system,” Dr. Atul Humar, medical director of the Multi-Organ Transplant Program, told Global News. “We’re very worried if we do that to patients, and then if they get COVID, they’ll end up with very, very severe manifestations of COVID-19.
It also means that transplants patients could end up, post-operatively, in the same ICU as COVID-19 patients and there would be an increased need for ventilators.
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“It’s a really unique and unprecedented situation, so we’re trying to do the best we can. We’re taking as many precautions as we can,” said Dr. Humar.
On March 13, the hospital decided to reduce transplant surgeries — heart, liver, kidney, pancreas and lung — unless a patient was rapidly deteriorating.
“COVID-19 seems to also infect the liver and the kidney and the heart. So we’re very concerned about that,” Dr. Humar told Global News.
In Niagara Falls, Jim Mann received a call telling him his double-lung transplant was on hold, for now.
To get on the official waiting list is an arduous and precise process. It takes time, numerous tests and appointments.
Mann, who is living with severe emphysema, needs a transplant, but he’s also worried about COVID-19.
“The COVID-19 is what scares me more than the surgery. They’ve told me if I got that, my chances of survival are very, very minute,” Mann told Global News.
Jim Mann is waiting for a double-lung transplant that has been delayed because of COVID-19.
Lori Mann
Mann and his wife Lori are doing everything they can to keep him safe inside as he waits.
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“It kind of breaks your heart because we had that hope,” said Lori Mann.
“Nobody knows how long this is going to go on for. And basically, we’ve been told if he gets this COVID-19 he won’t survive it. And so it’s terrifying.”
John Dennis is being doubly impacted by COVID-19. His wife, Penny is living with dementia and her long-term care home in Halifax, N.S., has residents who have tested positive for COVID-19, so no visitors are allowed.
John moved to an apartment building next to where Penny lives. He stands outside on his cell phone waving to Penny, who waves back from the seventh floor. This is as close as he can get.
He is living with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, needs a double-lung transplant, and a visit would not be safe.
“It’s putting your life on hold and just praying every night that it’ll be over soon or that your health will hold until the COVID-19 dilemma is over,” Dennis said.
“And I can move forward. I’m not going to give up.”
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Dennis is still going through the process of trying to get on the official transplant waiting list in Toronto. At 74, he knows time is precious. His appointments are continuing at a distance.
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Dennis is an adventurer who once competed in an around-the-world sailing race, so he’s ready for a fight.
“I want my family to know I’m not giving up the fight. It’s an important fight for me. I’m not going to give it up,” Dennis told Global News.
John Dennis is greeted by his wife Penny and daughter Stephanie after competing in an international sailing race in 2002.
John Dennis
Transplants are on hold or reduced at centres across the country, leading doctors who refer patients to be concerned.
“So there are patients right now who are very unwell and getting sicker quickly,” Dr. Meredith Chiasson, a respirologist with the Halifax Infirmary, told Global News. She adds the waitlist is concerning, “the number of patients on the waitlist is growing and that will create a backlog that will take a while to clear through.”
Another devastating consequence is that with programs across the country scaled back — so, too, is the procurement of donor organs.
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“So essentially those organs are not used. They’re lost to the system, which is really another tragedy due to COVID-19,“ Dr. Humar told Global News. “It’s very heartbreaking, actually.”
Jim is still optimistic. His wife Lori says their bags are packed and they are ready for the call. Lori’s sister also established a GoFund me campaign to help with the associated costs of travelling and living in Toronto during Jim’s surgery and care.
“I know there’s a fix down the road. … Hopefully it comes before I can’t go on anymore like this,” Mann told Global News.
While Mann and Dennis have been waiting, the team at Toronto General and its partners have been establishing safety protocols and testing donor organs for COVID-19.
Close to 20 transplant surgeries have been performed since March 13 at the hospital.
All the gained knowledge and safety protocols are leading to some renewed optimism.
Dr. Humar hopes that Toronto General will be able to slowly start performing additional transplant surgeries — soon.
“For the sake of our patients and so that precious donor organs do not go to unused,” Dr. Humar told Global News.
New Brunswick‘s Liberal and Green parties are set to make announcements about health care on the campaign trail today as the provincial election race enters its second half.
Liberal leader Susan Holt is scheduled to hold her announcement this morning in Saint John, N.B., followed by lunch at the city’s market.
A spokesperson with the Progressive Conservative party shared few details about the event scheduled for leader Blaine Higgs in Fredericton this morning.
Green Party Leader David Coon will hold a news conference this morning about “local health-care decision-making” alongside deputy leader Megan Mitton in her Sackville, N.B. riding.
On Saturday, Coon said he was proud to put forward a gender-balanced slate among the party’s 46 candidates.
While the Liberals and Progressive Conservatives are running with full slates, the Greens are three candidates short and will not have full representation when the province’s residents go to the polls on Oct. 21.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 7, 2024.
EDMONTON – The Health Quality Council of Alberta is investigating how some medical referrals weren’t properly processed, potentially affecting 14,000 patients over the last five years across the province.
The referrals were made to specialists outside of Alberta Health Services, such as physiotherapists and dietitians.
The health authority’s CEO, Athana Mentzelopoulos, says it does an average 100,000 referrals per year, but in some cases it can’t confirm if patients received referral services.
She says the problem was flagged in late September, and a preliminary estimate suggests 31 patients may have experienced a potential negative outcome due to the delays.
The provincial government requested the investigation, and the quality council is to find out how the snag occurred and how it can be prevented in the future.
The health authority says it has begun notifying patients who may have been affected by the disruption, and the cases could date back to 2019.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 4, 2024.
WASHINGTON (AP) — If you have stained or chipped teeth, you might be considering veneers, customized teeth coverings that can restore a photogenic smile without more extensive dental work.
But dentists warn that these pricey cosmetic enhancements are at the center of a worrisome online trend: unlicensed practitioners without proper training or supervision offering low-cost veneers.
These self-described “veneer techs” often promote themselves on Instagram and TikTok, promising a full set of veneers for less than half of what dentists typically charge. Some also market their own training courses and certifications for people looking to get into the business.
It’s misleading, health professionals warn — and illegal. All states require dental work, including veneers, to be performed under the supervision of a licensed dentist.
On Thursday, Georgia law enforcement officials arrested Brandon Diller, who promoted himself to 158,000 Instagram followers as “Atlanta’s top veneer specialist and trainer.” Diller practiced dentistry without a license and sold “training and certificates, which were worthless” and “provided no legitimate or legal credentials,” according to an arrest warrant from Fulton County’s District Attorney’s office.
Here’s what to know about veneers and how to avoid bogus providers and services:
What are dental veneers?
Veneers are thin, custom-made dental coverings used to hide minor imperfections or to fill in gaps between teeth. Unlike crowns or more invasive dental implants, veneers are almost always considered cosmetic dentistry and generally aren’t covered by insurance.
Dentists usually charge between $1,000 and $2,000 per tooth for veneers, with higher prices for those made from porcelain compared with lower-grade materials.
Placing veneers involves stripping some of the natural enamel from the tooth and bonding the new covering into place. Because of that process, getting veneers is considered an irreversible procedure, according to the American Dental Association. They are not permanent, and can be expected to last between 5 to 15 years before they degrade and need to be replaced.
In recent months the ADA has been stepping up warnings about the risks of veneer procedures done by unlicensed individuals.
“Quality control is lost without the involvement of a licensed dentist,” said Dr. Ada Cooper, a New York-based dentist and ADA spokesperson. “We undergo years of education and training and need to be licensed by various regulatory bodies before we can practice.”
What are the risks of getting veneers from someone who isn’t licensed?
Improper veneer procedures can cause a range of health problems, including severe pain, nerve damage and tooth loss.
Patients need to be anesthetized before the enamel is removed from their teeth.
“It could be incredibly painful if they’re not anesthetized correctly,” said Dr. Zach Truman, who runs an orthodontics practice in Las Vegas. “You can also go too deep into the tooth and penetrate what’s called the pulp chamber, which contains blood vessels and nerves.”
One of the biggest problems Truman sees with unregulated veneer work is that customers aren’t getting screened for existing dental problems, such as gum disease and cavities.
“If you put a veneer on a tooth that has an active cavity, you’re just going to seal it in there and eventually it’s going to progress to tooth loss,” Truman said.
Dental veneers aren’t the only option for improving the appearance of teeth. Over-the-counter whitening kits can help with minor stains and discoloration. And dentists can sometimes use composite materials to reshape chipped or uneven teeth. But Truman says those fillings are prone to crack and won’t last as long as veneers.
How can I spot bogus veneer providers online?
One clue: Many individuals performing unlicensed dental work promote themselves on social media as “veneer technicians.”
Instead of working out of a dental office they often perform treatments at beauty salons, hotel rooms or private homes. Some advertise multi-city tours and encourage clients to message them to book an appointment in advance.
Much of the appeal of the services is in their pricing, with some offering a full set of veneers for a flat fee of $4,000 or $5,000. That’s less than half of what patients can generally expect to pay at a dental office.
Performing dental work without an appropriate license is illegal, the ADA notes.
Dentists and hygienists are licensed by state governments, who also define the work dental assistants can perform. But in all cases, veneers and other dental procedures must be supervised by a licensed dentist.
Earlier this year, Illinois law enforcement officials arrested a woman running a business called the Veneer Experts after she posted videos of herself fitting braces, veneers and other dental products without a license. She was previously arrested in Nevada on similar allegations of practicing dentistry without a license.
What are the best ways to find legitimate dental providers?
The ADA maintains a website detailing the training and licensing requirements for dentists across the U.S. Most states also maintain websites where you can lookup and verify licensure information and find any past disciplinary actions for dentists and other health professionals.
“It’s really critical to understand that dentistry is a regulated health care profession that requires formal educations and licensure,” Cooper said.
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The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
