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. 2020 Jul 9:57:24-36.
doi: 10.1016/j.amsu.2020.07.003. eCollection 2020 Sep.

A scoping review of the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on surgical practice

Amjad Soltany  1 , Mohammed Hamouda  2 , Ansam Ghzawi  3 , Ahmed Sharaqi  4 , Ahmed Negida  5   6 , Shaimaa Soliman  7 , Amira Yasmine Benmelouka  8
Affiliations

A scoping review of the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on surgical practice

Amjad Soltany et al. Ann Med Surg (Lond). .

Erratum in

Abstract

Background: The current COVID-19 pandemic has challenged the infrastructure of the healthcare systems. To cope with the pandemic, substantial changes were introduced to surgical practice and education all over the world.

Methods: A scoping search in PubMed and Google Scholar was done using the search terms: "Coronavirus," "COVID-19", "SARS-CoV-2", "nCoV-2019", and "surgery." They were either searched individually or in combination. All relevant articles of any study design (published within December 15, 2019, till the mid of June 2020), were included and narratively discussed in this review.

Results: Sixty-six articles were reviewed in this article. Through these articles, we provide guidance and recommendations on the preoperative preparation and safety precautions, intraoperative precautions, postoperative precautions, postoperative complications (related to COVID-19), surgical scheduling, emergency surgeries, elective surgeries, cancer surgery, psychological impact on surgical teams, and surgical training during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Conclusion: COVID-19 pandemic has affected nearly all aspects of surgical procedures, scheduling, and staffing. Special precautions were taken before, during, or after surgeries. New treatment and teaching modalities emerged in response to the pandemic. Psychological support and training platforms are necessary for the surgical team.

Keywords: Coronavirus; Emergency; Surgery; Telemedicine; World health organization.

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Conflict of interest statement

No conflicts of interest to declare.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
PRISMA 2009 flow diagram explains the selection process
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
General considerations for resuming elective surgeries.
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
The general approach of managing newly diagnosed cancer patients.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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    1. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) April 7 2020. Adult Elective Surgery and Procedures Recommendations: Limit All Non-essential Planned Surgeries and Procedures, Including Dental, until Further Notice.https://www.cms.gov/files/document/covid-elective-surgery-recommendation... Available at:
    1. Center for disease control and prevention (CDC) CDC's recommendations for 30 day Mitigation Strategies for Santa Clara County, California, based on current situation with COVID-19 transmission and affected health care facilities. [Internet] https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/downloads/Santa-Clara_Communit... Available at:
    1. The American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery (AAO-HNS) March 20, 2020. New Recommendations Regarding Urgent and Non-urgent Patient Care.https://www.entnet.org/content/new-recommendations-regarding-urgent-and-...
    1. American college of Surgeons . March 24, 2020. COVID-19: Elective Case Triage Guidelines for Surgical Care.https://www.facs.org/covid-19/clinical-guidance/elective-case Available at:

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