Oberwart Clinic

Surgeries canceled: patients have to go to Graz

The reorganization of the Department of Surgery is currently leading to changes in surgery planning.(Bild: Karsten Eggert)

Because the reorganization of the surgical department at Oberwart Clinic is taking some time, at least three complex operations have to be outsourced. 

And suddenly everything changes. A fate currently shared by at least three patients who were waiting for thoracic surgery at Oberwart Clinic. They were informed by telephone that their operation had been canceled. The shock was profound, as they had usually been preparing for their upcoming operation for a long time in view of the complex medical procedure.

Not everyone is equally understanding about cancellations
Not all of those affected understand this, as the department was only recently reorganized and the clinic's surgical department advertises operations with a higher level of complexity. The rejection therefore came as a surprise, they say.

Reorganization of the department should bring improvements for patients
Gesundheit Burgenland is cautious about the background to the rejection, but says that the entire department will be restructured in terms of quality and quantity after Primarius Kornprat takes over the surgical department and that there should therefore be significant improvements in Burgenland. This process will take some time.

As the process of reorganizing the department will take some time, alternative operating theatres are being sought for three of the patients affected.

Prof. Dr. Stephan Kriwanek, Medizinischen Geschäftsführer

 With their consent, alternative operating theaters have been sought for the three patients affected. According to Stephan Kriwanek, Medical Director of Gesundheit Burgenland, the University Hospital of Graz has already agreed to all of them.

Gesundheit Burgenland is not committing to a time frame
Gesundheit Burgenland denied whether other patients could be affected by cancellations. However, they did not want to commit to a specific time frame as to how long the reorganization of the department would take and when such complex thoracic procedures would be possible again in Oberwart.

At least three complex operations had to be canceled in the Department of Surgery at Oberwart Hospital. The patients concerned were transferred to Graz.(Bild: Schulter Christian)

In the long term, the state has also repeatedly emphasized that it will be possible to perform more complex operations in the surgical department at Oberwart Clinic in the future. Furthermore, in the case of the canceled operations, it should be noted that these were guest patients from Styria. In contrast to other federal states, the hospital is fulfilling its contractual agreements.