Urological Care and COVID-19: Looking Forward.

Area of Science:

• Urology
• Oncology
• Infectious Disease Epidemiology

Background:

• The COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted healthcare, including urological and oncological services.
• Expert recommendations suggested limiting non-deferrable uro-oncological surgeries due to safety concerns, particularly with laparoscopy.
• The Veneto Region was an early epicenter, necessitating rapid adaptation of healthcare delivery.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present the experience of a Urological Referral Center in implementing a segregated-team work model during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• To evaluate the safety and efficacy of this model in maintaining uro-oncological surgical care.
• To assess the impact on surgical activity, patient outcomes, and staff safety.

Main Methods:

• Implementation of a segregated-team work model with stratified organization of activities.
• Adoption of comprehensive screening and protection protocols for patients and staff.
• Retrospective comparison of surgical activity and outcomes with the same period in the previous year.

Main Results:

• Overall surgical activity decreased by 19.5%, but the proportion of oncologic robotic and laparoscopic surgery remained comparable.
• High-priority non-oncological patient care was maintained.
• No COVID-19 infections were reported in staff or patients, and surgical complication rates were similar to the previous year.

Conclusions:

• A significant reduction in urological care, including surgery, may be unsustainable long-term, potentially harming oncological patients.
• The segregated-team work model effectively maintained essential uro-oncological services while ensuring safety.
• This model offers a viable strategy for future planning during public health emergencies.