Things to Look For When Planning Operations During the COVID-19 Pandemic

The World Health Organization (WHO) establishes the outbreak of COVID-19 as a global pandemic. In this international emergency, the association of surgeons in the United States is calling for the cancellation of planned (elective) operations in hospitals.

Elective surgery or planned surgery is an operation that does not have to be done immediately because it has no indication of a threat to life or disability. This condition is different from emergency operations, which are operations that need to be carried out as soon as possible because of the risk of death or disability.

Examples of Planned Operations and Emergency Operations
The surgeon association in the United States has provided guidelines and advice to hospitals to delay planned operations during the COVID-19 pandemic. The guidelines cover how doctors evaluate certain medical situations and delay planned operations to reduce transmission of the Coronavirus.

In order to more easily understand the difference between planned operations and emergency operations, below will be explained as an example of each type of operation.

Some examples of planned operations are:

• Hernia surgery
• Cosmetic surgery
• Reconstruction operation
• Joint replacement surgery
• Surgery to lose weight (bariatric)

Some examples of emergency operations are:

• Surgery in shock due to acute bleeding
• Surgery on trauma
• Bowel obstruction surgery or intestinal leakage
• Emergency cesarean section

Some urgent operations (need to be done in less than 24 hours) are:

• An appendectomy
• Open fracture surgery
• Surgery for infection

Why should planned operations be postponed during the COVID-19 pandemic?

There are many considerations for delaying planned operations during the COVID-19 pandemic. One of them is the concern that planned surgical procedures might contribute to the spread of the Coronavirus in hospitals.

Another reason is to focus medical personnel, health facilities, and medical equipment and equipment in hospitals, including beds and intensive care units (ICU), breathing aids, and personal protective equipment (PPE), on the handling of Coronavirus infections in numbers the case continues to grow rapidly.

Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is also a consideration for delaying planned operations. According to CDC data, about 25% of people infected with COVID-19 do not show any symptoms. That is, there is the potential for patients who will be operated on or their families unknowingly bring Coronavirus to the hospital.

In fact, there are many patients treated in hospitals with other diseases, such as heart disease or cancer, who have a high risk for contracting the Coronavirus and experiencing fatal complications when exposed to COVID-19.

In addition, it should also be considered that patients who undergo recovery period after surgery is at high risk for being infected with the Coronavirus while they are hospitalized and can experience dangerous complications due to infection with this virus.

The length of the planned operation delay depends on the length of the COVID-19 outbreak. The faster the case reduction occurs, the faster the operation can be performed. While waiting for the right time, patients can still consult with the surgeon via telephone, video call, or application.

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