Peculiarities of providing surgical care to patients with lung cancer in the conditions of the pandemic of new coronavirus infection COVID-19

Abstract

Purpose of the study was to assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the direct work of the surgical service providing specialized care for patients with lung cancer.Material and methods. The study is based on the results of work for the period 2020–2021 of two departments providing basic surgical care for patients with lung cancer in the Tomsk Region. The impact of the spread of the virus in the region on the number of operations performed for lung cancer were assessed. In the postoperative period, the number and nature of common and associated with infection with COVID-19 complications were analyzed, both in a hospital setting and after discharge.Results. A decrease in the number of patients with lung cancer treated during a pandemic was noted, and a tendency for a decrease in the number of operations up to a complete cessation of work during periods of an increase in the spread of the virus was indicated. Infectious complications associated with infection with COVID-19 after surgical treatment of lung cancer were confirmed in 11 patients, of whom bilateral pneumonia developed in 9 cases (81.8%), mortality in 3 (27.3%) cases.Conclusion. The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has led to a decrease in the volume of surgical care for all localizations of neoplasms, including lung cancer. Infection of a patient at different times after surgical treatment is accompanied by an extremely high risk of developing viral pneumonia and death.