COVID-19 and Orthopaedics: Recovery After the Pandemic Surge

Area of Science:

• Orthopedic Surgery
• Public Health
• Epidemiology

Background:

• The COVID-19 pandemic significantly strained global healthcare systems.
• Non-urgent surgical procedures, including orthopedic surgeries, were canceled to manage hospital capacity and resources.
• Thousands of surgical cancellations were mandated to curb virus transmission.

Purpose of the Study:

• To document the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on orthopedic surgical practices.
• To describe the incident response and management strategies implemented during the pandemic surge.
• To discuss the transition towards recovery of orthopedic services post-surge.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective review of surgical cancellations and operational adjustments.
• Analysis of healthcare system strain and resource reallocation.
• Qualitative description of the experience during the pandemic onset and advance.

Main Results:

• Significant disruption to elective orthopedic surgery schedules occurred globally.
• Healthcare systems faced unprecedented challenges in managing patient care and resources.
• Incident response protocols were crucial for navigating the crisis.

Conclusions:

• The COVID-19 pandemic necessitated a rapid adaptation of orthopedic surgical services.
• Effective incident response and resource management were vital for mitigating the pandemic's impact.
• A phased recovery approach is essential for restoring normal surgical operations.