Open AccessIs Elective Cancer Surgery Safe During the COVID‐19 Pandemic?
Author(s) -
Ji Chenchen,
Singh Kaushiki,
Luther Alison Zoe,
Agrawal Avi
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
world journal of surgery
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.115
H-Index - 148
eISSN - 1432-2323
pISSN - 0364-2313
DOI - 10.1007/s00268-020-05720-x
Subject(s) - medicine , elective surgery , cardiothoracic surgery , cancer , covid-19 , incidence (geometry) , abdominal surgery , pandemic , surgery , cardiac surgery , vascular surgery , general surgery , disease , physics , infectious disease (medical specialty) , optics
Background The COVID‐19 pandemic has resulted in a significant decrease in the number of elective cancer operations performed. Cancer patients are felt to be a high‐risk group for COVID‐19, and therefore, concerns have been raised regarding the safety of operating during this time; however, the potential risk of cancer progression if untreated must also be considered. The aim of this study was therefore to identify the incidence of COVID‐19 post‐operatively in patients undergoing elective cancer surgery of all types. Methods Data were collected on all patients who had an elective therapeutic cancer operation in a single large district general hospital, where standard COVID‐19 precautions were in place, between 01/02/2020 and 27/4/2020, Follow‐up was for a minimum of 2 weeks post‐discharge. The primary outcome was the incidence of COVID‐19 during the follow‐up period. Results A total of 621 elective cancer surgeries, from a range of specialities, were performed during the study period, with 55% ( n = 341) being done as day cases. None of the patients were positive for COVID‐19 post‐operatively using reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction testing. Conclusions The risk of COVID‐19 following elective cancer surgery in this group of high‐risk patients appears to be minimal in this study. With further precautions being introduced to reduce the risk of transmission of COVID‐19, an increase in the rate of elective cancer surgery should be a current priority for all hospitals where possible.