Skin cancer surgery at the time of the covid-19 pandemic: A single center experience

Abstract

Elective operations were significantly reduced in order to eliminate, as much as possible, the risks of SARS -CoV-2 virus infection for both patients and medical personnel and to leave the clinical facilities and intensive care available for access to COVID patients. We looked at the total number of patients treated for skin cancer surgery at both hospitals from the March 23, 2020 till the May 28, 2020, the demographic characteristics, the medical comorbidities, the pathologies operated on in day surgery regimens of care and the surgical outcomes. With regards to the site, more than one third of the patients were treated at a private hospital setting. Among the surgery complications identified there was one graft failure following excision of scalp lesion which histology confirmed regressed keratoacanthoma. Moreover, three infections associated with the lesions excised occurred and were treated with antibiotics. With regards to morbidity there was only one covid-19 infection among the patients that attended for skin cancer surgery and two deaths. The utilization of Covid-free locations, other than NHS hospitals, for elective surgery improved the efficiency of the service and together with the practical steps in theatre management and minimizing footfall, allowed the successful continuation of care during the pandemic.

Keywords

• SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus disease
• Skin cancer
• Operation