The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Bariatric Surgery: Results from a Worldwide Survey
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The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Bariatric Surgery: Results from a Worldwide Survey Ioannis I. Lazaridis 1 & Marko Kraljević 1 & Romano Schneider 1 & Jennifer M. Klasen 1 & Dimitrios Schizas 2 & Ralph Peterli 1 & Lilian Kow 3 & Tarik Delko 1 & for the Collaborators Received: 12 May 2020 / Revised: 25 June 2020 / Accepted: 25 June 2020 # Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2020
Abstract Background The ongoing “coronavirus disease 19” (COVID-19) pandemic has had a strong effect on the delivery of surgical care worldwide. Elective surgeries have been canceled or delayed in order to reallocate resources to the treatment of COVID-19 patients. Currently, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on bariatric and metabolic surgical practice remains unclear. Methods An internet-based online survey was performed among bariatric surgeons worldwide. The survey was sent to bariatric surgeons via the International Bariatric Club Facebook group and by electronic mail via the International Federation for the Surgery of Obesity and metabolic disorders (IFSO) secretariat to members of the associated national IFSO societies. Results One hundred sixty-nine (n = 169) bariatric surgeons participated in the survey. The majority of the respondents postponed preoperative upper gastrointestinal tract endoscopies, appointments in the outpatient clinic and bariatric operations. Most surgeons performed video calls for follow-up appointments instead of meeting the patients in the outpatient clinics. Laparoscopy was still the preferred treatment for surgical emergencies, but a trend towards conservative treatment of acute appendicitis and acute cholecystitis was shown. Rapid preoperative COVID-19 testing availability was poor; therefore, routine screening of emergency bariatric cases was not widely provided. A wide variance occurred regarding precautions and personal protection equipment among the participants. Conclusion The COVID-19 pandemic showed a strong impact on bariatric surgical practice regarding surgical and outpatient planning as well as personnel management. Coordinated effort from the national bariatric societies should focus on strict implementation of the current recommendations regarding precaution measures and personal protection equipment. Further studies should evaluate how this impact will evolve in the near future. Keywords COVID-19 . Pandemic . Bariatric surgery . IFSO . Survey
Introduction On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared “coronavirus disease 19” (COVID-19), which is caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus
* Tarik Delko [email protected] 1
Clarunis, Department of Visceral Surgery, University Centre for Gastrointestinal and Liver Diseases, St. Clara Hospital and University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland
2
First Department of Surgery, Laikon General Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
3
Adelaide Bariatric Centre, Flinders Private Hospital, Bedford Park, Adelaide, South
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