Surgical initial experience in patients with COVID-19

Introduction: the COVID-19 pandemic has caused a reorganization of hospital and general surgery departments worldwide to assure the best medical and surgical treatment of patients with this disease and protection of the health-related personnel. Some of them will require surgical treatment either elective or urgent. Objective: report the initial experience in the management of patients with COVID-19 in a third level hospital. Material and Methods: a review of the surgical protocols, personal protection equipment used by the surgical teams, and results of the treatment of forty-two patients submitted to surgery. Results: During four months (April-July 2020) forty-two patients with suspicion or confirmed infection of SARS-CoV2 underwent surgical treatment. The most common surgery was tracheostomy in 16 patients (38%) followed by exploratory laparotomy in 8 patients (19%). The median postoperative stay was 17 days and the thirty-day postoperative mortality rate was 26%. Conclusions: reorganization of the general surgery department and the hospital, favors adequate management and treatment of patients with COVID-19 and protection to the health-related personnel. Due to the usual co-existence of comorbidities and pulmonary complications the postoperative mortality of these patients is high.