Anesthetic Management for Thoracic Surgery During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Area of Science:

• Anesthesiology
• Thoracic Surgery
• Infectious Diseases

Background:

• The COVID-19 pandemic presented unique challenges for managing patients undergoing thoracic surgery.
• International guidance was developed to address anesthetic management for both urgent and elective thoracic procedures.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review recent international guidance on anesthetic management for thoracic surgery during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• To address the care of patients with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 requiring urgent thoracic surgery.
• To examine anesthetic strategies for patients undergoing elective thoracic procedures.

Main Methods:

• Review of international guidelines and recommendations.
• Analysis of anesthetic management strategies for thoracic surgery patients during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Main Results:

• Thoracic surgery in patients with COVID-19 is associated with significant mortality and should be avoided when possible.
• Thoracic surgery poses a high risk of viral transmission to healthcare workers due to aerosol-generating procedures like one-lung ventilation and bronchoscopy.
• Guidelines recommend enhanced personal protective equipment (PPE) and procedural modifications to mitigate viral transmission risks.

Conclusions:

• Strict adherence to guidelines, including appropriate PPE and modified procedures, is crucial for preventing viral transmission.
• Elective thoracic surgery, particularly for lung cancer, can be performed safely with appropriate disease mitigation strategies.
• Careful planning and implementation of safety protocols are essential for continuing thoracic surgery during a pandemic.