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Cardiac surgeons' concerns, perceptions, and responses during the COVID-19 pandemic

Jessica G Y Luc1, Niv Ad2,3, Tom C Nguyen4

  • 1Division of Cardiovascular Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

Journal of Cardiac Surgery
|June 12, 2021
PubMed

Insights

Cardiac surgeons faced significant concerns during the COVID-19 pandemic, including personal and family health risks and personal protective equipment (PPE) shortages. Many adopted PPE conservation strategies due to high pandemic burden.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiovascular Surgery
  • Public Health
  • Infectious Diseases

Background:

  • The COVID-19 pandemic significantly disrupted healthcare, particularly impacting cardiac surgery.
  • This study addresses the specific concerns and adaptive strategies of cardiac surgeons during this crisis.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the perceptions and practice changes of North American cardiac surgeons during the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • To understand the challenges faced by cardiac surgeons regarding personal safety and resource availability.

Main Methods:

  • A survey was distributed to adult cardiac surgery centers across North America.
  • Data on surgeon concerns, practice modifications, and personal protective equipment (PPE) usage were collected and analyzed.

Main Results:

  • Nurses (88%) and advanced care practitioners (69%) were most frequently redeployed; surgeons (25%) also experienced redeployment.
  • Top surgeon concerns included family exposure (81%), personal infection (68%), and PPE shortages (28%).
  • Nearly half of N95 respirator users employed decontamination (49%) or reuse strategies, influenced by institutional COVID-19 burden.

Conclusions:

  • COVID-19 profoundly impacted North American cardiac surgeons, highlighting workforce and resource challenges.
  • Findings underscore the need for improved preparedness strategies for future healthcare crises and pandemic surges.
Abstract

Keywords:
cardiovascular research

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