Surgery in the time of COVID-19

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has profoundly reduced the capacity of health systems to provide scheduled services such as elective surgery, or often called planned surgery, and other non-emergency procedures.

But as quarantine restrictions slowly ease up across the country, questions now arise whether it is safe to resume surgical operations, given the threat of the COVID-19 infection still persists.

In response to these uncertainties, medical societies have stepped up to usher patients into the ‘new normal’ of health procedure as the Philippine Society of Anesthesiologists Inc. (PSA) and the Philippine College of Surgeons (PCS) recently suggested recommendations regarding surgical and perioperative preparation, operating room setup, anesthesia considerations, staff preparation and postoperative care.

During the recent celebration of Anesthesia Week, the PSA, with the participation of PCS presented updated safety guidelines in a live forum entitled “Patients’ Concern Before, During & After Anesthesia and Surgery in Times of Pandemic.”

The seminar can be re-watched on the official Facebook page of the Philippine Society of Anesthesia.

“The aim of the webinar is to raise awareness on patients’ safety inside hospitals and to bring back patients’ confidence to resume their surgical and diagnostic procedures,” said Dr. Ma. Janetth Serrano, director of the PSA and Anesthesia Week chair.

Serrano opened the discussion by asking the speakers about the current concerns of patients during these uncertain times, and how hospitals and healthcare professionals are addressing these to safely perform surgeries amid the pandemic.