Spinal pain

Burgenland woman in despair: Surgery canceled twice

Gabriele Binder, marked by pain, waits for an urgently needed operation. Her operation has already been canceled twice at the Oberwart clinic.(Bild: Krone KREATIV/zVg, Christian Schulter)

Gabriele Binder (59) from southern Burgenland has been hoping for months that an operation would alleviate the pain in her spine. The appointment has already been canceled twice at short notice.

Gabriele Binder from Oberwart has been hoping for months for an operation to alleviate the severe pain in her cervical spine. Her surgery date at Oberwart Clinic has been postponed twice at short notice. For the 59-year-old, the ongoing uncertainty is difficult to bear and she has still not received a new appointment. "My hands keep falling asleep, I can only sleep half-sitting up," says Binder.

Running from doctor to doctor for months
She spent months going from doctor to doctor before she ended up in the newly created department for minimally invasive neurosurgery in Oberwart. "The initial consultation was good. I had the feeling that someone could actually help me." However, the good feeling was followed by disillusionment. The inpatient admission was planned for November 7 and the operation was due to take place on November 10. The day before the operation was canceled - supposedly due to an emergency, Ms Binder was told.

I've been sitting in the kitchen for weeks with my bag packed. I'm ready at any time.

Gabriele Binder (59) aus Oberwart

Still no new surgery date after two cancellations
The operation was postponed by 14 days. The 59-year-old had to hope and wait again. But the second appointment was not to take place as planned either. On November 20, the operation scheduled for the next day was once again canceled at short notice. "I already had a gut feeling," says Binder. "But when you get the call, it's a shock." Since then, she has been waiting for new information from the clinic.

Already the third operation on her spine
This would be the 59-year-old's third operation on her spine. Pre-existing conditions such as asthma and COPD put an additional strain on her. "I can't lie on my stomach for five minutes without gasping for air," she explains. The repeated canceled appointments take their toll on her mentally. She also struggles physically.

"I've put on a lot of weight, have to take strong sleeping pills and am undergoing psychotherapy," she says. After the second cancellation, the clinic asked her how flexible she was. "I've been sitting in the kitchen with my bag packed for weeks. I'm always ready."

Uncertainty due to the guest patient debate
The current discussion about guest patients is also unsettling for Binder. Burgenland created the neurosurgery department precisely so that those affected would receive better care in their own province. "That's exactly what I relied on." The idea of now having to move to another province for the operation scares her. "I'm afraid they'll say: go back to where you came from."

When asked by "Krone", Gesundheit Burgenland explained: "The postponement of the operation dates was necessary due to unforeseeable acute medical cases. The department, which opened in September, has been very well received and is very busy."

Gesundheit Burgenland: emergencies must have priority
It continues: "Emergencies must have priority, especially in the case of life-threatening illnesses. The department is currently being developed. We are working on catching up on planned interventions as quickly as possible."