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. 2022 May;75(5):1696-1703.
doi: 10.1016/j.bjps.2021.11.090. Epub 2021 Dec 1.

Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on plastic surgery training in Europe

Adriana M Paskal  1 , Paweł Jaremków  2 , Paulina Małyszczak  2 , Wiktor Paskal  3 , Korneliusz Wójcik  2 , Jakub Opyrchał  4 , Marek A Paul  5
Affiliations

Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on plastic surgery training in Europe

Adriana M Paskal et al. J Plast Reconstr Aesthet Surg. 2022 May.

Abstract

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the functioning of global society and healthcare systems, including surgical departments. We aimed to assess alterations in plastic surgery training in Europe during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods: A 34-question survey was emailed in January and February 2021 to 54 National Associations of Plastic, Reconstructive, and Aesthetic Surgeons throughout European countries. The questions concerned the general profile of plastic surgery trainees, plastic surgery department, and training organization during the COVID-19 pandemic and its influence on respondents' health. The acquisition of responses was finalized at the end of February 2021.

Results: All 71 of the respondents reported alterations in planned courses, workshops, and conferences. Organizational changes included team rotation 62%, followed by redeployment to another department 45.1%. Reduction in admissions to the plastic surgery departments was more significant during the 1stt wave than the 2nd wave of COVID-19 pandemics. During the interim period, admission restrictions were proportional to the infection number. The most frequently reported surgical procedures performed were skin cancer surgeries, trauma, and burns (79%, 77%, and 77%). The majority, 62% of the respondents, noticed the negative impact of pandemics on training; 53.5% think their manual skills and clinical knowledge may deteriorate because of the pandemic. Respondents noticed that their mental (50.7%) and physical (32%) health worsened, along with feeling more stressed in general (57%).

Conclusion: The COVID-19 pandemic limited plastic surgery departments' activities and implementation of the plastic surgery training program in all European countries involved in our study.

Keywords: COVID-19; Coronavirus; Pandemic; Plastic surgery; Training.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of Competing Interest None.

Figures

Fig. 1
Figure 1
Graph represents the distribution of respondents in context of year of training.
Fig. 2
Figure 2
Survey respondents' representations on Europe map.
Fig. 3
Figure 3
Rates of admission to the plastic surgery departments. Admission rates were exhibited as% of average admission before the COVID-19 pandemic.
Fig. 4
Figure 4
(A) COVID-19 infections in 1st wave, interim period and 2nd wave in surveyed countries expressed as total cases/million citizens [data source: Max Roser, Hannah Ritchie, Esteban Ortiz-Ospina and Joe Hasell (2020) – "Coronavirus Pandemic (COVID-19)". They are published online at OurWorldInData.org. Retrieved from: 'https://ourworldindata.org/coronavirus' [Online Resource]]; (B) Median admissions’ rates in surveyed countries in first wave, interim period, and second wave of COVID-19 pandemic (median ± range).
Fig. 5
Figure 5
Type of procedures performed in plastic surgery departments during the first and the second wave of COVID-19. Above bars -% of responses, at the bottom - number of absolute responses.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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