Elective Gastrointestinal Surgery in COVID Times

With the COVID pandemic claiming deaths the world over, the healthcare systems were overburdened. This led to the cancellation and delay in elective surgical cases which can have far-reaching consequences This study reports our experience of elective gastro-intestinal surgical procedures during the COVID pandemic, after instating preventive strategies and screening protocols to prevent the transmission of COVID infection. This is a case series analysis of elective gastro-intestinal surgical procedures performed from March 24, 2020, to July 31, 2020. During this period, 314 gastro-intestinal surgical procedures were performed; of which, 45% were for malignancies. The median age of patients was 54 years (range 8 to 94 years). Laparoscopy was used in 43% cases. Major postoperative complications (Clavien-Dindo grade 3 and above) were witnessed in 3.5% (11/314) patients, with no statistically significant difference when compared with the rate of major complications last year (45/914, 4.9% vs 11/314, 3.5%, p = 0.3). The 30-day mortality rate was 1% (n = 3). No patient developed COVID in the postoperative period. With preventive and screening strategies and proper patient selection, it is possible to deliver safe GI surgical services during the COVID pandemic, without increasing the risk for major postoperative complications.