TY - JOUR
T1 - Surgical challenges and research priorities in the era of the COVID-19 pandemic
T2 - EAES membership survey
AU - Milone, Marco
AU - Carrano, Francesco Maria
AU - Letić, Emina
AU - Shamiyeh, Andreas
AU - Forgione, Antonello
AU - Eom, Bang Wool
AU - Müller-Stich, Beat P.
AU - Ponz, Carmen Balagué
AU - Kontovounisios, Christos
AU - Preda, Daniel
AU - Ignjatovic, Dejan
AU - Cassinotti, Elisa
AU - Yiannakopoulou, Eugenia
AU - Theodoropoulos, George
AU - Faria, Gil
AU - Morelli, Luca
AU - Gorter-Stam, Marguerite
AU - Markar, Sheraz
AU - Arulampalam, Thanjakumar
AU - Velthoven, Therese
AU - Antoniou, Stavros A.
AU - Francis, Nader K.
PY - 2020
Y1 - 2020
N2 - Background: Healthcare systems and general surgeons are being challenged by the current pandemic. The European Association for Endoscopic Surgery (EAES) aimed to evaluate surgeons’ experiences and perspectives, to identify gaps in knowledge, to record shortcomings in resources and to register research priorities. Methods: An ad hoc web-based survey of EAES members and affiliates was developed by the EAES Research Committee. The questionnaire consisted of 69 items divided into the following sections: (Ι) demographics, (II) institutional burdens and management strategies, and (III) analysis of resource, knowledge, and evidence gaps. Descriptive statistics were summarized as frequencies, medians, ranges, and interquartile ranges, as appropriate. Results: The survey took place between March 25th and April 16th with a total of 550 surgeons from 79 countries. Eighty-one percent had to postpone elective cases or suspend their practice and 35% assumed roles not related to their primary expertise. One-fourth of respondents reported having encountered abdominal pathologies in COVID-19-positive patients, most frequently acute appendicitis (47% of respondents). The effect of protective measures in surgical or endoscopic procedures on infected patients, the effect of endoscopic surgery on infected patients, and the infectivity of positive patients undergoing laparoscopic surgery were prioritized as knowledge gaps and research priorities. Conclusions: Perspectives and priorities of EAES members in the era of the pandemic are hereto summarized. Research evidence is urgently needed to effectively respond to challenges arisen from the pandemic.
AB - Background: Healthcare systems and general surgeons are being challenged by the current pandemic. The European Association for Endoscopic Surgery (EAES) aimed to evaluate surgeons’ experiences and perspectives, to identify gaps in knowledge, to record shortcomings in resources and to register research priorities. Methods: An ad hoc web-based survey of EAES members and affiliates was developed by the EAES Research Committee. The questionnaire consisted of 69 items divided into the following sections: (Ι) demographics, (II) institutional burdens and management strategies, and (III) analysis of resource, knowledge, and evidence gaps. Descriptive statistics were summarized as frequencies, medians, ranges, and interquartile ranges, as appropriate. Results: The survey took place between March 25th and April 16th with a total of 550 surgeons from 79 countries. Eighty-one percent had to postpone elective cases or suspend their practice and 35% assumed roles not related to their primary expertise. One-fourth of respondents reported having encountered abdominal pathologies in COVID-19-positive patients, most frequently acute appendicitis (47% of respondents). The effect of protective measures in surgical or endoscopic procedures on infected patients, the effect of endoscopic surgery on infected patients, and the infectivity of positive patients undergoing laparoscopic surgery were prioritized as knowledge gaps and research priorities. Conclusions: Perspectives and priorities of EAES members in the era of the pandemic are hereto summarized. Research evidence is urgently needed to effectively respond to challenges arisen from the pandemic.
KW - COVID-19
KW - Laparoscopy
KW - Pandemic
KW - Surgical challenges
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U2 - 10.1007/s00464-020-07835-7
DO - 10.1007/s00464-020-07835-7
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85088986710
VL - 34
SP - 4225
EP - 4232
JO - Surgical Endoscopy
JF - Surgical Endoscopy
SN - 0930-2794
IS - 10
ER -