Apostolos Karligkiotisa MD, Alberto D. Arosiob MD, Paolo Battagliab,c MD, Giorgio Sileob MD, Camilla Czaczkesb MD, Luca Volpia MD, PhD, Mario Turri-Zanonib,c MD, Paolo Castelnuovob,c MD
a Division of Otorhinolaryngology, Department of Surgical Specialties, ASST Sette Laghi, Ospedale di Circolo e Fondazione Macchi, Varese, Italy
b Division of Otorhinolaryngology, Department of Biotechnology and Life Sciences, University of Insubria-Varese, ASST Sette Laghi, Ospedale di Circolo e Fondazione Macchi, Varese, Italy
c Head and Neck Surgery & Forensic Dissection Research center (HNS&FDRc), Department of Biotechnology and Life Sciences, University of Insubria, Varese, Italy
Running Title: COVID-19 impact on Sinus and Skull Base Surgery
Keywords: COVID-19, SARS-Cov-2, skull base, endoscopy, surgery
Corresponding Author:
Alberto D. Arosio, MD
Division of Otorhinolaryngology, - ASST Sette Laghi, Ospedale di Circolo,
Via Guicciardini 9, 21100 Varese, Italy
Tel: +39-0332-278426
Fax: +39-0332-278945
E-mail: albertodaniele.arosio@gmail.com
No sponsorships or competing interests have been disclosed for this article.
Acknowledgments: MTZ is a PhD student on the “Biotechnologies and Life Sciences” course at Università degli Studi of Insubria, Varese, Italy.
ABSTRACT
Background. Italy was the first European country suffering from COVID-19. Healthcare resources were redirected to manage the pandemic. We present our initial experience with the management of urgent and non-deferrable surgeries for sinus and skull base diseases during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Methods. A retrospective review of patients treated in a single referral center during the first two months of the pandemic was performed. A comparison between the last two-month period and the same period of the previous year was carried out.
Results. Twenty-four patients fulfilled the inclusion criteria. A reduction of surgical activity was observed (-60.7%). A statistically significant difference in pathologies treated was found (p = .016), with malignancies being the most frequent indication for surgery (45.8%).
Conclusions. Although we feel optimistic for the future, we don’t feel it is already time to restart elective surgeries. Our experience may serve for other centers who are facing the same challenges.