Repercusión de la infección por SARS-CoV-2 en las intervenciones de Cirugía Plástica en Andalucía (España) durante la primera fase de pandemia COVID-19

Abstract

Background and objective. Within the context of the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic in our country, the main objective of this study is to determine the incidence of SARS-CoV-2 infections in patients operated on for Plastic Surgery in Units or Services in Andalusia (Spain) in the pre and postoperative times, show if there has been an increase in the incidence of postoperative complications during the pandemic, and if complications related to the virus other than those that occurred in previous periods have been observed. We also analyze the influence of the type of anesthesia, surgical time or type of surgery on the results and the possibility of contagion. Methods. Observational analysis of the behavior and evolution of patients operated on in the Plastic Surgery Units of the hospitals of Seville, Malaga, Cordoba, Granada and Cadiz, between March 9 and April 30, 2020. We collected data related to infection by SARS-CoV-2 of 703 patients, including pre and postoperative PCR and serology results and data related to the surgical procedure, when possible. All registration was carried out in a common anonymized database and analyzed using the SPSS® statistical software. Results. All the cases had a favorable outcome, more than 96% of the patients did not experience any type of complications and when they appeared, they were resolved successfully. No cases of SARS-CoV-2 were diagnosed among them and the duration of the surgeries was not related to a higher incidence of contagion. In addition, none of the types of anesthesia or surgeries were associated with a higher incidence of infection by this virus. Conclusions. Despite the health circumstances in which the surgeries were performed and the absence of protocols in the initial phases, we did not observe infections in the treated patients or complications related to the presence of the virus;the type of anesthesia and the duration of surgery were not significant factors either. These results support that, by complying with the screening protocols for COVID-19, PCR tests and preventive measures of the center, it was safe to perform these surgeries. © 2021 Sociedad Espanola de Cirugia Plastica Reparadora y Estetica (SECPRE). All rights reserved.