Laparoscopic colorectal resections during the COVID-19 pandemic - business as usual?

To analyse the outcomes of major colorectal resections performed during the COVID-19 pandemic, to assess safety and explore all precautionary measures.

All patients who underwent major elective colorectal resections at St Helens and Knowsley Teaching Hospital NHS Trust between 24th March 2020 (the date that the Royal Colleges of Surgery produced their guidelines re operating during the pandemic) and 17th April 2020 were analysed from a prospectively maintained database. The primary outcome was 7-day mortality and secondary outcomes were the development of a positive COVID-19 test consequent to hospital stay and the overall complication rate.

In this 24 day time frame 27 patients (17 males) underwent elective colorectal resections at St Helens and Knowsley NHS Trust. The median age was 69 (41-84) years and median ASA was 2 (1-3). The median Body Mass Index was 30 (21-40.7). Twenty-five patients underwent surgery for cancer and two patients had urgent resections for low-grade sepsis secondary to diverticular colovesical fistulae. 24 patients underwent laparoscopic colorectal resections and 3 patients underwent planned open surgery. 7-day mortality was 0%, and no patients/staff contracted COVID-19 during the post-operative period. The overall complication rate was 14.8%. At a median follow-up of 29 (17-44) days via telephone, there have been no reported COVID-19 related symptoms in any of these patients.

Our experience demonstrated that it was possible to undertake laparoscopic colorectal resections despite the COVID-19 pandemic posing a major threat to humanity, providing that adequate and stringent precautions are undertaken.