Providing safe perioperative care in cardiac surgery during the COVID-19 pandemic

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has potentiated the need for implementation of strict safety measures in the medical care of surgical patients and especially in cardiac surgery patients, who are at a higher risk of COVID-19-associated morbidity and mortality. Such measures not only require minimization of patients' exposure to COVID-19 but also careful balancing of the risks of postponing nonemergent surgical procedures and providing appropriate and timely surgical care. We provide an overview of current evidence for preoperative strategies used in cardiac surgery patients, including risk stratification, telemedicine, logistical challenges during inpatient care, appropriate screening capacity, and decision-making on when to safely operate on COVID-19 patients. Further, we focus on perioperative measures such as safe operating room management and address the dilemma over when to perform cardiovascular surgical procedures in patients at risk. (c) 2021 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons. org/licenses/by/4.0/).

Automated summary

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of strict safety measures in medical care for surgical patients, especially in cardiac surgery patients at higher risk of COVID-19 complications. Preoperative strategies like risk stratification, telemedicine, and appropriate screening are crucial, as well as perioperative measures for safe operation and deciding when to perform cardiovascular surgeries in high-risk patients.