COVID-19. Pandemic surgery guidance
Abstract – Based on high quality surgery and scientific data, scientists and surgeons are committed to protecting patients as well as healthcare staff and hereby provide this Guidance to address the special issues circumstances related to the exponential spread of the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) during this
pandemic. As a basis, the authors used the British Intercollegiate General Surgery Guidance as well as recommendations from the USA, Asia, and Italy. The aim is to take responsibility and to provide guidance for surgery
during the COVID-19 crisis in a simplified way addressing the practice of surgery, healthcare staff and patient
safety and care. It is the responsibility of scientists and the surgical team to specify what is needed for the protection of patients and the affiliated healthcare team. During crises, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, the
responsibility and duty to provide the necessary resources such as filters, Personal Protective Equipment
(PPE) consisting of gloves, fluid resistant (Type IIR) surgical face masks (FRSM), filtering face pieces, class
3 (FFP3 masks), face shields and gowns (plastic ponchos), is typically left up to the hospital administration
and government. Various scientists and clinicians from disparate specialties provided a Pandemic Surgery
Guidance for surgical procedures by distinct surgical disciplines such as numerous cancer surgery disciplines,
cardiothoracic surgery, ENT, eye, dermatology, emergency, endocrine surgery, general surgery, gynecology,
neurosurgery, orthopedics, pediatric surgery, reconstructive and plastic surgery, surgical critical care, transplantation surgery, trauma surgery and urology, performing different surgeries, as well as laparoscopy, thoracoscopy and endoscopy. Any suggestions and corrections from colleagues will be very welcome as we are all
involved and locked in a rapidly evolving process on increasing COVID-19 knowledge