Letter to Editor on: Surgical Practice in the Shadow of COVID-19 Outbreak

Document Type : LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Authors

1 Atal Bihari Vajpayee Institute of Medical Sciences, Dr Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, New Delhi, India

2 Department of Orthopaedics, Indraprastha Apollo Hospital, Sarita Vihar, Mathura Road, New Delhi, India

Abstract

We congratulate the authors for their publication on “Surgical Practice in the Shadow of COVID-19 Outbreak” (1). COVID-19 pandemic have forced the surgeons to continually evolve their clinical practices.Authors have rightly pointed out that by wearing full Personal Protection Equipments (PPE) could interfere with personal communication. To anticipate these problems, we find that a team briefing, before the start of a case regarding the planning of surgical procedure, is of great help and must be used. Additionally, the surgical plan can be sketched out on the OT wall over a blackboard. The author's view of ‘open surgery is superior to minimally invasive procedures is debatable and needs to be proved by future comparative studies. We believe that during the peri pandemic times, operative treatments requiring minimal invasion and shorter surgical times should be preferred.We are not convinced that the trainees should be entirely set aside from the clinical services during COVID-19 outbreak. We have used their services effectively in the emergency departments and in COVID-19-related wards. Trainees are a good force for health care activity everywhere. The continuity of surgeries and seeing patients in the emergency department will maintain a level of practical education in these trainees.

Keywords


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