Perioperative Medical and Surgical Coronavirus Disease 2019 Issues: Keeping Surgeons, Operating Room Teams, and Patients Safe

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has infected over 22 million people in the United States (US) and has had a devastating impact on the US economy and healthcare system. In order to help slow the spread of the virus and save hospital resources, nonessential businesses were forced to close and elective surgeries have been postponed.

As we reach the peak of the pandemic and the COVID-19 vaccine gets distributed, healthcare systems must develop plans to safely resume elective surgeries. This article outlines a single center academic medical center’s perioperative COVID-19 protocol to help keep surgeons, operating room teams, and patients safe.

While testing protocols can help minimize the transmission of the virus, there is still the potential for COVID+ patients to undergo surgery undetected, due to potential false negative tests and the long incubation period before seroconversion and symptom development.

An effective institutional strategy not only includes clear perioperative testing protocols, but also education regarding clinical manifestations and exposure control.