The halt in surgery began when countries around the world became affected by the COVID-19 infection, as an initial response for the optimal use of resources. The insufficient resources to manage a novel virus meant that essential resources, such as PPE, testing materials, ventilators and intensive care unit (ICU) beds, had to be diverted. This lead to surgical cancellations and a tremendous increase in waiting lists for surgeries worldwide, causing critical cash shortages for many hospitals deprived of a significant amount of their scheduled revenue.
The impact of surgical delays has brought many questions: How have other countries dealt with the crisis? How will the backlog be cleared? Are there sufficient supplies for waiting lists to play catch up?
In this paper, you will get the latest insights into:
• The impacts of this surgery backlog on society and healthcare providers
• Its impact on vital surgery supplies, global morbidity and mortality
• How different countries responded and adapted to the situation
• What are the catch-up strategies and the safety measures needed to operate in a COVID era
