Plastic physicians: The surgical salamanders of the COVID-19 pandemic

J Plast Reconstr Aesthet Surg. 2021 Feb;74(2):401-406. doi: 10.1016/j.bjps.2020.08.122. Epub 2020 Sep 20.

Abstract

At the time of writing, coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) has affected 6.42 million people globally and over 380,000 deaths, with the United Kingdom now having the highest death rate in Europe. The plastic surgery department at Leeds Teaching Hospitals put necessary steps in place to maintain an excellent urgent elective and acute service whilst also managing COVID-positive medical patients in the ward. We describe the structures and pathways implemented together with complex decision-making, which has allowed us to respond early and effectively. We hope these lessons will prove a useful tool as we look to open conversations around the recovery of normal activity.

Keywords: Acute surgery; COVID-19; Elective surgery; Plastic surgery; Restructuring; Training.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • COVID-19* / epidemiology
  • COVID-19* / prevention & control
  • COVID-19* / therapy
  • Change Management
  • Child
  • Disease Transmission, Infectious / prevention & control
  • Elective Surgical Procedures
  • Hospital Departments* / methods
  • Hospital Departments* / organization & administration
  • Hospital Departments* / statistics & numerical data
  • Humans
  • Infection Control* / methods
  • Infection Control* / standards
  • Neoplasms / epidemiology
  • Neoplasms / surgery*
  • Plastic Surgery Procedures
  • SARS-CoV-2
  • Surgery, Plastic* / education
  • Surgery, Plastic* / organization & administration
  • Surgery, Plastic* / trends
  • Teaching / organization & administration
  • Teaching / trends
  • United Kingdom / epidemiology
  • Wounds and Injuries / epidemiology
  • Wounds and Injuries / surgery*