The provision of a time-critical elective surgical service during the COVID-19 Crisis: a UK experience
Author
Burden, E. G.
Walker, R. W.
Ferguson, D. J.
Goubran, Amf
Howell, J. R.
John, J. B.
Khan, F.
McGrath, J. S.
Evans, J. P.
Date
2021-03-01Journal
Annals of the Royal College of Surgeons of EnglandType
Journal ArticlePublisher
Royal College of SurgeonsDOI
10.1308/rcsann.2020.7023Rights
© 2021 The Royal College of Surgeons of EnglandMetadata
Show full item recordAbstract
INTRODUCTION: With the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic, all elective surgery was temporarily suspended in the UK, allowing for diversion of resource to manage the anticipated surge of critically unwell patients. Continuing to deliver time-critical surgical care is important to avoid excess morbidity and mortality from pathologies unrelated to COVID-19. We describe the implementation and short-term surgical outcomes from a system to deliver time-critical elective surgical care to patients during the COVID-19 pandemic. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A protocol for the prioritisation and safe delivery of time-critical surgery at a COVID-19 'clean' site was implemented at the Nuffield Health Exeter Hospital, an independent sector hospital in the southwest of England. Outcomes to 30 days postoperatively were recorded, including unplanned admissions after daycase surgery, readmissions and complications, as well as the incidence of perioperative COVID-19 infection in patients and staff. RESULTS: A total of 128 surgical procedures were performed during a 31-day period by a range of specialties including breast, plastics, urology, gynaecology, vascular and cardiology. There was one unplanned admission and and two readmissions. Six complications were identified, and all were Clavien-Dindo grade 1 or 2. All 128 patients had preoperative COVID-19 swabs, one of which was positive and the patient had their surgery delayed. Ten patients were tested for COVID-19 postoperatively, with none testing positive. CONCLUSION: This study has demonstrated the implementation of a safe system for delivery of time-critical elective surgical care at a COVID-19 clean site. Other healthcare providers may benefit from implementation of similar methodology as hospitals plan to restart elective surgery.
Citation
Burden, Eleanor G. et al. (2021) ‘Reverse total shoulder arthroplasty.’, The bone & joint journal, 103-B(5), pp. 813–821. doi: 10.1302/0301-620X.103B.BJJ-2020-2101.Note
The article is available via Open Access. Click on the 'Additional link' above to access the full-text.Collections
Except where otherwise noted, this item's license is described as © 2021 The Royal College of Surgeons of England
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