Neurosurgery and coronavirus: impact and challenges - lessons learnt from the first wave of a global pandemic
Published in: Acta Neurochirurgica
Authors: Keyoumars Ashkan; Josephine Jung; Alexandra Maria Velicu; Ahmed Raslan; Mohammed Faruque; Pandurang Kulkarni; Cristina Bleil; Harutomo Hasegawa; Ahilan Kailaya-Vasan; Eleni Maratos; Gordan Grahovac; Francesco Vergani; Bassel Zebian; Sinan Barazi; Irfan Malik; David Bell; Daniel Walsh; et al.
Year: 2021
Publication details: 163:317-329
DOI: 10.1007/s00701-020-04652-8
Publication type: Journal article
Topic: COVID-19, neurosurgical services, emergency neurosurgery, MDT pathways, healthcare resilience
Simple summary
This publication documents how a tertiary neurosurgical service adapted during the first COVID-19 wave. It may be useful for broader authority content around service resilience, urgent neurosurgical care and maintaining safe pathways during periods of healthcare disruption.
Mr Kailaya-Vasan’s involvement
Mr Kailaya-Vasan, consultant neurosurgeon and neurovascular surgeon, is listed as a contributing author on this publication.
Published abstract
The following abstract is reproduced from the original publication and is provided for reference. It may include technical terminology intended for clinical or academic audiences.
Introduction and objectives: The COVID-19 pandemic had major effects on global healthcare, with the UK among the countries most severely impacted. This study examined how COVID-19 challenged neurosurgical care in a busy tertiary unit serving a socio-economically diverse population. Methods: A prospective single-centre cohort study compared referrals, MDT activity, emergency and elective admissions before and during the first wave. Results: Emergency referrals and operations reduced during COVID-19, while a greater proportion of operations were emergency procedures. Thirty-day perioperative mortality remained low. Conclusion: Capacity to treat urgent or emergency neurosurgical patients was maintained through communication with referrers, modern technology, pathway restructuring and use of private sector hospitals.
Disclaimer
This publication page is provided for general information about Mr Kailaya-Vasan’s academic work. It is not medical advice and should not be used to guide individual diagnosis or treatment decisions. Patients should discuss their individual symptoms, diagnosis and treatment options with a specialist.