Surgical Preparedness Index in Orthopaedics During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Pandemic

TL;DR

The paper discusses how the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted elective surgeries and proposes improving surgical preparedness to handle future crises, especially in low- and middle-income countries.

Contribution

The paper introduces the concept of a Surgical Preparedness Index to strengthen elective surgical systems against global shocks.

Findings

Elective surgeries were suspended globally during the pandemic, leading to a backlog of 200 million patients.

Improving surgical preparedness can help healthcare systems withstand future crises like pandemics or climate emergencies.

Experiences from the pandemic highlight the need for sustainable strategies in low- and middle-income countries.

Abstract

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has increased the vulnerability of routine surgical procedures and elective surgery preparedness all over the world, with the suspension of most elective surgeries during the pandemic and the backlog of patients currently on waiting lists, especially in publicly funded healthcare systems. On average, at the beginning of the year 2022, about 200 million patients awaited surgery all over the world. By enhancing the strength of surgical preparedness, there is a better chance of strengthening elective surgical systems against shocks such as future pandemics or climate emergencies. We explore the implications, challenges, and strategies of the concept of surgical preparedness to maintain sustainability in the global healthcare system, especially in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), with the experiences gained during the COVID-19 pandemic.