Peri-operative and anesthesia considerations for patient recovered from COVID-19 scheduled for radical cancer surgery

Abstract

The current COVID-19 pandemic has affected the health-care system worldwide. While there is a plenty of literature in recent times regarding the anesthetic management of COVID-positive patients for various surgeries, there is a paucity of publications on the concerns and anesthetic implications of COVID-19 recovered patients, posted for major oncology surgery. We, hereby, present a geriatric case of post-COVID-19 recovered patient posted for radical cystectomy following chemotherapy. These patients are immunosuppressed due to cancer per se as well as because of concurrent chemotherapy, and hence, they may have a stormy course of COVID-19 infection. Since, COVID-19 affects multiple organs, preoperative evaluation must thoroughly investigate all the systems. Anesthetic management and operating theatre preparedness for such cases is discussed in brief.