Review of COVID-19 Outcomes in Surgical Patients

Abstract

COVID-19 emerged as a viral pandemic in the year 2019. The practice and scope of surgery and medicine transformed radicially as the virus spread across the world. There is an urgent need to understand the outcomes of COVID-19 infected patients who undergo surgery. We present a comprehensive review of the current literature on the management of surgical patients who develop COVID-19.

Findings

Poor outcomes were most frequent in general surgery or oncological surgery patients who were older with chronic comorbidities. In contrast, outcomes among transplant surgery and obstetric patients were not signficantly altered by COVID-19. Surgical societies have released specialty specific guidelines on the managment of patients who require surgical care during the pandemic.

Conclusion

COVID-19 is associated with adverse outcomes and increased mortality in surgical patients. Data is currently limited, often restricted to single sites and smaller cohorts. As the sequelae of the virus is better understood, the revisions to the guidelines on managment of surgical patients may help improve outcomes.