Bariatric surgery and the COVID-19 pandemic: SICOB recommendations on how to perform surgery during the outbreak and when to resume the activities in phase 2 of lockdown

Abstract

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and its related disease, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), has been rapidly spreading all over the world and is responsible for the current pandemic. The current pandemic has found the Italian national health system unprepared to provide an appropriate and prompt response, heavily affecting surgical activities. Based on the limited data available in the literature and personal experiences, the Società Italiana di Chirurgia dell'OBesità e Malattie Metaboliche (SICOB) provides recommendations regarding the triage of bariatric surgical procedures during the COVID-19 pandemic defining a dedicated path for surgery in morbidly obese patients with known or suspected COVID-19 who may require emergency operations. Finally, the current paper delineates a strategy to resume outpatient visits and elective bariatric surgery once the acute phase of the pandemic is over. Models developed during the COVID-19 crisis should be integrated into hospital practices for future use in similar scenarios. Surgeons are presented with a golden opportunity to embrace systemic change and to drive their professional future.

Keywords: Bariatric surgery; COVID-19; Coronavirus; Obesity; Pandemic; SARS-CoV-2.

Fig. 1

The path to safe decision-making on the surgical approach in the acute phase of the COVID-19 pandemic