Surgical safety in the COVID-19 era: present and future considerations

Area of Science:

• Medicine
• Surgery
• Infectious Diseases

Background:

• The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic caused global paradigm shifts, profoundly impacting surgical practices and patient care.
• Surgeons faced unprecedented changes in operation scheduling, pre-operative preparations, and intra-operative/post-operative precautions.
• Many centers reported a decline in both elective and emergent surgical procedures, including cancer and benign resections.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of COVID-19 on surgical outcomes and practices.
• To assess the safety and feasibility of minimally invasive surgery during the pandemic.
• To review the effectiveness of mitigation protocols in surgical settings.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of accumulated surgical outcomes from the past two years of the pandemic.
• Comparison of postoperative morbidity and mortality data with pre-pandemic eras.
• Review of guidelines and adherence to basic precautions.

Main Results:

• Postoperative morbidity and mortality data were comparable to pre-pandemic levels for both elective and urgent surgeries.
• COVID-19 was associated with increased postoperative morbidity and mortality, but most non-infected patients were treated successfully with strict protocols.
• Minimally invasive surgery was found to be safe and feasible, despite initial recommendations against it.

Conclusions:

• Adherence to basic precautions and stringent mitigation protocols is practicable and effective in managing surgical patients during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Healthcare systems and surgical staff must remain vigilant and adaptable to the evolving pandemic situation to ensure optimal patient care.
• Minimally invasive surgery can be safely performed with appropriate precautions, challenging initial pandemic-era recommendations.