Is it time to resume elective knee arthroplasty surgery? A multidisciplinary experience in a Sardinian center during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic

Abstract

Background Starting in January 2020, the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic caused changes in the nation’s health systems. The hospital’s reorganization led to a near-total stop of non-urgent, elective surgeries across all specialties, including hip and knee arthroplasty. However, in May 2020, a gradual elective surgery restarting was possible. Considering the risk of COVID-19 infections, the European Knee Associates suggest the need to implement specific protocols for a safe return to orthopaedic elective surgery. Methods A retrospective analysis regarding all patients who underwent primary knee arthroplasty (TKA) between March 1st and October 1st, 2020 using an institutional database was performed. The study time was divided into 2 periods: Pandemic (from March 2020 to May 2020), Post Pandemic (from June 2020 to October 2020). A specific protocol was designed to safeguard the health of patients and healthcare workers during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. Results A total of 147 patients underwent total knee replacement surgery in the analyzed period. The mean surgical time was 77.6 (+/-18.9). The intraoperative mean blood loss was 54 (+/-28) ml. The mean hospital stay was 3-4 days. Among the treated patients no case of COVID-19 infection was observed. Conclusion The use of our protocol, developed ad hoc for the management of elective orthopedic patients, allowed the restart of elective orthopedic surgery in a safe and reproducible way with an average increase of 374% on surgical activity between the pandemic and post-pandemic periods without record cases of contagion among the treated patients.