Protecting Your Reconstructive Plastic Surgery Practice in a Pandemic: Five Ways to Mitigate This Unique Environment

The Role of Telemedicine in Surgical Specialties During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Scoping Review

Background

The objective of this study was to evaluate the current body of evidence on the use of telemedicine in surgical subspecialties during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods

This was a scoping review conducted in compliance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for scoping reviews (PRISMA-ScR). MEDLINE via Ovid, PubMed, and EMBASE were systematically searched for any reports discussing telemedicine use in surgery and surgical specialties during the first period (February 2020–August 8, 2020) and second 6-month period (August 9–March 4, 2021) of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Results

Of 466 articles screened through full text, 277 articles were included for possible qualitative and/or quantitative data synthesis. The majority of publications in the first 6 months were in orthopedic surgery, followed by general surgery and neurosurgery, whereas in the second 6 months of COVID-19 pandemic, urology and neurosurgery were the most productive, followed by transplant and plastic surgery. Most publications in the first 6 months were opinion papers (80%), which decreased to 33% in the second 6 months. The role of telemedicine in different aspects of surgical care and surgical education was summarized stratifying by specialty.

Conclusion

Telemedicine has increased access to care of surgical patients during the COVID-19 pandemic, but whether this practice will continue post-pandemic remains unknown.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s00268-021-06348-1.

Aesthetically Thriving through Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19): An Evaluation of Patient Motivation and Perception on Aesthetic Surgery and Minimally Invasive Procedures

Although the cancellation of elective procedures due to the COVID-19 outbreak has been a vital precaution, it has resulted in the suspension of aesthetic procedures and surgeries worldwide. Consequently, this postponement and other factors might have a negative impact on patients planning to undergo aesthetic procedures. Understanding the changes in patient motivation and perception in comparison to the prepandemic period is imperative for proper adjustment of plastic surgery clinics.A prospective questionnaire study was conducted on patients with cancelled aesthetic surgeries or procedures to determine the effects that coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) had on patient motivation regarding cosmetic surgery and procedures and to establish a relationship between patient characteristics and the overall effect of pandemia on the perception of cosmetic surgery.Although most patients felt angry or frustrated due to the cancellation of their surgeries or procedures, the majority accepted that it was a necessary precaution. Patients with a history of previous minimally invasive procedures had a significantly higher ratio of acceptance for cancellations, whereas single patients were more likely to want to have their treatments done if the decision were left up to them. A subset of patients considered undergoing additional cosmetic procedures in the setting of self-isolation, and all patients stated that they would reschedule once the pandemia was under control.Patients with established motivation for plastic surgery and minimally invasive procedures ultimately plan to resume their normal treatments alongside others after the pandemia subsides. Plastic surgeons must actively communicate with their patient population during this time to properly educate, embrace, and direct them under scientific guidelines.