General Surgery Operating Room Practice in Patients with COVID-19 (original) (raw)

The Effect of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Surgery Process

Clinical and Experimental Health Sciences, 2022

With this review, it was aimed to discuss the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the process before, during and after surgery. Studies that were accessed using the keywords "COVID-19", "perioperative" and "surgery" in Pubmed and Science Direct and Turkish databases were discussed. The measures taken with the declaration of the pandemic also affected surgical practices, and postponing elective cases other than emergency and cancer surgery was one of the common measures implemented in many countries. In addition to all these measures and recommendations, the fact that the operating room environment has some unique risk factors draws attention to the process before, during and after the surgery. Guidelines for the measures to be taken in the national and international arena are published in order to plan the workforce of health professionals and to use limited health care resources effectively, as well as to prevent the spread of COVID-19. These measures and recommendations are shaped according to the statistical fluctuation in the number of infected cases and health care resources in countries, and policies and procedures regarding the preoperative, intraoperative and postoperative period are updated. It is extremely important to follow the current literature in order to protect both patients and healthcare professionals involved in the surgical process and to prevent cross-contamination against the COVID-19 virus.

Are surgical and non-operating room intervention safe in the COVID-19 pandemic?: a retrospective study

Epidemiology and Infection, 2021

Little is known about the impact of COVID-19 on the outcomes of patients undergoing surgery and intervention. This study was conducted between 20 March and 20 May 2020 in six hospitals in Istanbul, and aimed to investigate the effects of surgery and intervention on COVID-19 disease progression, intensive care (ICU) need, mortality and virus transmission to patients and healthcare workers. Patients were examined in three groups: group I underwent emergency surgery, group II had an emergency non-operating room intervention, and group III received inpatient COVID-19 treatment but did not have surgery or undergo intervention. Mortality rates, mechanical ventilation needs and rates of admission to the ICU were compared between the three groups. During this period, patient and healthcare worker transmissions were recorded. In total, 1273 surgical, 476 non-operating room intervention patients and 1884 COVID-19 inpatients were examined. The rate of ICU requirement among patients who had sur...

Immediate and Long-Term Impacts of COVID-19 on Surgical Services and Patient

BJSTR

Background: In December 2019 COVID 19 originated in Wuhan, Hubei province, of China, but as of 23july 2021 >192 million cases and >4 million deaths have been reported globally. These dramatic figures have a profound, potentially long-lasting and extensive effect on the delivery of surgical services worldwide. Objective: Aimed to support surgical teams and health service by identifying key domains that should be covered in pandemic preparedness plans. Methods: The data and information is collected from various international journals and electronic media published throughout the world. Results: As regions with the highest volume of operations per capita are being hit, a large number of operations are being postponed. Patients are being deprived of surgeries, with uncertain loss of function and risk of adverse prognosis as a collateral damage by the pandemic. No major entity has enlisted the difficulties faced by general public as conditions for general surgeries are not on par with the ones required. Surgical services need a backup plan for maintaining surgical care in an ongoing or post pandemic time phase. Conclusion: A pandemic is a rapidly changing scenario, requiring reorganization and teamwork flexibility of the healthcare delivery. In future research required to study the impact of COVID-19 infection on postoperative outcomes, identifying risk stratification strategies, and determining whether prophylaxis using anti-COVID drugs and how to reduces rates of hospital-acquired COVID-19 infection.

Impact of the Coronavirus (Covid-19) Pandemic on Surgical Practice: A Literature Review

The World Health Organization (WHO) has subsequently designated this ongoing disease as Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). One month later, the COVID-19 outbreak was declared a pandemic. The rapid global spread of viral infections and diseases led to the introduction of broad containment and reduction strategies in affected countries worldwide. Since the early phase of the pandemic, operating rooms have been converted into additional ICUs to support critically ill patients, and non-urgent and non-cancerous surgical procedures have been cancelled or postponed to a later date. The impact of COVID-19 on surgical practice is widespread, ranging from labor and staff issues, procedure priorities, the risk of intraoperative virus transmission and the impact on surgical education. The impact on surgical practice includes the use of surgical facilities, redeploying staff, staff preparation, national referral procedure and preoperative phase. The impact of COVID-19 on surgeons' daily practice and surgeon education is enormous. The cancellation of elective and nonurgent surgeries has allowed surgeons to become an important staff resource for the health system to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic. Surgeons are considering safe, non-surgical alternative options for treating their patients during COVID-19.

The role of surgeons during the COVID-19 pandemic: The experience of the Surgery Clinic of the Clinical Hospital Center 'Zemun

Srpski medicinski časopis Lekarske komore, 2021

Introduction: In December 2019, the existence of a new type of disease, caused by SARS coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), was discovered in the city of Wuhan, the Republic of China. The disease itself is characterized by a large number of patients with moderate and severe clinical presentation, who require hospital treatment. The organization of the healthcare system of Serbia, during the aforementioned pandemic, has required the engagement of all doctors, regardless of their specialty, in the treatment of patients with COVID-19. Surgeons of all branches, from the Surgery Clinic of the Clinical Hospital Center Zemun, were directly engaged in the treatment of both primary manifestations of the virus and the numerous surgical complications arising in the wake of this disease, but also in the treatment of primary acute surgical diseases in COVID-19-positive patients. Aim: The aim of this paper is to present the functioning of the Surgery Clinic of CHC Zemun, in the conditions of the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as to present the types and results of surgical procedures performed in patients with the COVID-19 infection. Methods: This study was conceived as a retrospective study and was conducted in the period between February 2020 and April 2021, in patients who had undergone emergency surgery and in whom the COVID-19 infection had previously been verified. A total of 232 patients surgically treated at the level of the entire Surgery Clinic of the CHC Zemun participated in the study. Results: Chest drainage, due to the development of pneumothorax, accounted for a quarter of all surgical procedures performed, while, in 53.85% of cases, surgical treatment was undertaken due to acute abdomen of various etiology, and in 21.15% of cases, due to vascular diseases. Conclusion: The COVID-19 pandemic is, in itself, a major challenge for the entire healthcare system. The role of the surgeon is significant, both in organization and in direct treatment, which is additionally complicated by the uniqueness of the entire situation and the severity of the disease itself. In addition to their involvement in the treatment of the COVID-19 infection itself, surgeons were, in a large number of cases, engaged in their primary activity in health care, i.e., in the treatment of surgical diseases and complications of COVID-19, performing demanding surgical procedures in very difficult and unique conditions.

KEY RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF PATIENTS WITH SURGICAL TREATMENT DISEASES DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC (Atena Editora)

KEY RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF PATIENTS WITH SURGICAL TREATMENT DISEASES DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC (Atena Editora), 2022

The COVID-19 pandemic has become a major challenge for health professionals and hospitals, mainly through the overcrowding of beds, lack of resources and materials. Several areas of health suffered from the reflection of the pandemic, among them, elective and emergency surgeries. In order to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and in an attempt to meet the surgical demand, health agencies have been adopting measures to maintain the safety of patients and professionals. Therefore, this systematic review presents a detailed analysis of studies published in the last two years related to recommendations and precautions for the management of emergency and elective surgeries with the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic. Searches were carried out using the descriptors (surgery) OR (operation) AND (COVID-19), inserted in the "Publish or Perish" platform, considering: Google Scholar, PubMed and Web of Science as search bases. After inclusion and exclusion criteria, 13 publications were selected to compose this review. Studies demonstrate key features of elective and emergency surgery and recommendations in operating rooms during the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, surgical patients are classified into risk categories for SARS-CoV-2: confirmed and suspected, high and low severity, in order to identify what care must be taken regarding surgical procedures. Thus, the information presented in this review is important for health professionals to have a better understanding of the protocols that must be followed regarding surgical operations during the pandemic period, ensuring safety for patients and health professionals.

COVID-19: ramifications in surgical practice

Journal of Patan Academy of Health Sciences

Nepal lies between two large countries (India and China) who have reported high incidence of COVID-19. It is only logical that we prepare the best with the limited medical facilities that we have. There are numerous challenges that impact the surgical department and the hospital administration in general. New guidelines are being formulated and updated frequently. The challenge to provide sufficient personal protective equipment, limited finances and need to train staffs are pertinent challenges. A change in the method of treatment and execution has exerted pressure on the surgeons with a need to keep abreast of new developments. We describe the numerous impacts of the COVID-19 on surgical practice, the impact on surgeons, patients, surgical residents and even the hospitals which have led to all “new normal” in surgery.

Approaches to the Management of Elective Patients in General Surgery During Covid-19 Pandemic

Surgical Medicine Open Access Journal, 2021

Objective: Recently published papers have defined the clinical characteristics and overall outcomes of COVID-19 patients with the influence on the healthcare system. Especially, general surgeons are uniquely affected due to the broad range of procedures they perform, many of which are conducted routinely in the outpatient setting. This report aims to represent the clinical presentation and outcomes of elective surgical patients during the COVID-19 epidemic. Methods: We designed a retrospective study of elective surgeries from 13 March to 13 May 2020 in Bagcilar Training and Research Hospital, a pandemic hospital in this period. Results: 45 patients included in the study underwent different severity and morbidity operations with general anesthesia. The ratio of female to male was 23/22. The mean age was 55 years. Mean Body Mass Indexes (BMI) was 28,5kg/m2. There were 13 co-morbid patients. The severity of the operations ranges from anal fistulectomy to abdominoperineal resection. Need for ICU developed in 9 patients (20%). Complications developed in only one of the patients, resulting in mortality (2,2%). Conclusion: Surgeons as leaders need to make the best decisions for their patients while being sensitive to the broader implications. The important aim is to protect patients as well as the medical team from unnecessary infection and to keep the healthcare system study effectively. There is a need for continuous adaptation of recommendations and guidelines in order not to deprive patients of their operations, whether COVID-19 positive or not.

Surgery priority at the time of COVID-19 pandemic, a conceptual frame work recommendation

Caspian Journal of Internal Medicine, 2020

Letter to Editor Surgery priority at the time of COVID-19 pandemic, a conceptual frame work recommendation Dear Sir, The current pandemic disease, COVID-19 is causing fear and affecting the quality of life in 2020. The mentioned disease can spread human to human, especially by asymptomatic carriers. Healthcare providers and surgeons are at the risk of conferring with COVID-19. Surgical history in pandemic situations is rare. In this regard, the present study designed suggesting practical and fundamental issues around the efficacy of surgery at the time of COVID-19 pandemic. This information and recommendations could be as a valuable source for surgeons in low and middle-income countries. In December 2019, the novel Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-COV2) from the coronaviridea family occurred in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China (1). Surfaces are an important route of transmission for this pathogen. Viruses can contaminate the inanimate environments of every place including the hospitals' surfaces (2). The stability of SARS-COV viruses on inanimate environments depends on the type of the strain, the surface, temperature and humidity (3). Accordingly, hospital-related transmission could definitely be an important and challenging issue (4). Operating rooms (OR) could be considered as one of the main contaminated wards in hospitals because of staff traffic and behaviors; in addition, due to the airborne particles and persistence of the particles on surfaces within a closed air circulation (5). For this reason, patients who are confronted by the virus during or after the surgery will have a higher mortality rate than non-hospitalized patients (6). Due to the mentioned issues and the current situation of COVID-19, making decisions about elective surgeries is as important as saving humans' lives. Herein, we offer a conceptual recommendation for evaluating the necessity of performing elective surgeries in health care centers. Surgery in pandemic situations: Surgery has a main role in healthcare systems and is the procedure of choice for treatment of patients with different diseases, especially in low-and middle-income countries. During a pandemic

Impact of Covid-19 pandemic on a general surgery clinic

Journal of Medicine and Life

The Covid-19 pandemic has had a massive impact on global health, social and economic well-being worldwide. In addition to the direct effects of the disease on patients infected with the virus, this pandemic has severely affected the activity of surgical clinics around the world. One of the significant issues was an important decrease in the number of surgeries performed even in countries with highly performant medical systems. This study aimed to analyze the effects of the pandemic on the 1st General Surgery Clinic in Timisoara County Hospital, compared to 2018–2019. In order to conduct this study, data regarding the activity of the clinic in the pandemic period and 2018–2019 was collected and analyzed from a statistical point of view, considering a p<0.05 as statistically significant. There were significant differences between the 2 periods regarding the number of hospitalized patients, the number of patients undergoing elective or emergency surgery, and the total number of surg...