Taking both shots of a COVID-19 vaccine should provide a layer of protection against contracting the coronavirus – but it may also affect how patients should schedule elective surgeries, pain injections and other procedures at Mayfield.
Mayfield physicians recommend against patients getting a vaccine immediately before or after an elective surgery or procedure. Patients should consult with their Mayfield physician for a specific recommendation on the time between the vaccine and procedure, which could vary from 48 hours to a week. Patients also can consult the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s “Frequently Asked Questions” about COVID vaccinations.
Scheduling a vaccine and procedure too close together might make it difficult to determine whether symptoms are post-operative or vaccine-related. Mayfield will perform any necessary surgery to care for all patients, regardless of whether they have recently received the COVID vaccine. But physicians are concerned about the side effects of a vaccine masking any reaction to the procedure or underlying conditions.
The most common side effect of the vaccine appears to be arm soreness at the point of injection. Others include fatigue, headaches or muscle aches, joint pain, fever or chills.
Dr. Marc Orlando, an interventional pain physician at Mayfield, said there is no uniform national recommendation for the amount of time that should pass between a COVID vaccine and a medical procedure. He recommends seven full days to ensure an accurate diagnosis and to protect the patient.
“Our top priority is protecting our patients from any effects of a procedure, and the impact of a vaccine can make that more difficult,” he said. “The impact of steroid exposure and the potential for compromising the immune system are variables that have yet to be fully measured. To minimize any impact, we recommend not receiving a vaccine within a week – either before or after your procedure.”
“We need to know more about the medium- and long-term effects of a vaccine before we can set strict guidelines,” Mayfield neurosurgeon Dr. Robert Bohinski said. “To protect the safety of patients, we recommend a cautious approach in scheduling procedures at the same time a patient might receive a vaccine.”
Regardless of COVID vaccine status, Mayfield patients are required to have a COVID test prior to surgery.