The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on vascular surgery: Health care systems, economic, and clinical implications

Abstract

The novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (coronavirus disease 2019 [COVID-19]) pandemic is responsible for more than 500,000 deaths in the United States and nearly 3 million worldwide, profoundly altering the landscape of health care delivery. Aggressive public health measures were instituted and hospital efforts became directed at COVID-19-related concerns. Consequently, routine surgical practice was virtually halted, resulting in billions of dollars in hospital losses as pandemic costs escalated. Navigating an uncertain new landscape of scarce resource allocation, exposure risk, role redeployment, and significant practice pattern changes has been challenging. Furthermore, the overall effect on the financial viability of the health care system and vascular surgical practices is yet to be elucidated. This review explores the economic and clinical implications of COVID-19 on the practice of vascular surgery in addition to the health care system as a whole.

Fig. 1

Regional distribution of elective vascular surgical cases reported by 41 respondents. From Mouawad et al , reprinted with permission.

Fig. 2

Regional distribution of vascular surgeon redeployment. From Mouawad et al , reprinted with permission.

Fig. 3

Distribution of generalized anxiety disorder 7-item survey scores among vascular surgeons. From Shalhub et al , reprinted with permission.