The impact of COVID-19 on the plastic surgery activity in a high-complexity university hospital in Brazil: the importance of reconstructive plastic surgery during the pandemic

BACKGROUND: The Hospital das Clínicas - University of Sao Paulo Medical School (HCFMUSP) is the largest university hospital complex in Brazil. HCFMUSP has been converted into a reference center for coronavirus disease 2019. The Division of Plastic Surgery postponed non-essential surgeries and outpatient consultations, accomplishing new guidelines (ANG) of national and international organizations. Even with these challenges arising from the pandemic, alternatives were considered to maintain institutional characteristics. This study aims to analyze this new scenario and the impact on patients’ assistance and Plastic Surgery residents training. METHODS: Total number of surgeries, type of procedures, and outpatient consultations in 2020, before (pre-ANG) and after (post-ANG) ANG, were compared with the same period in 2019 (2019-pre and 2020-post). RESULTS: A marked reduction in the total number of surgeries and outpatient consultations was observed in the post-ANG period. In the post-ANG period, 267 operations were performed (26.7 ± 20.3/week), while in the 2019-post period, 1036 surgeries were performed (103.6 ± 9.7/week) (p = 0.0002). Similarly, 1571 consultations were conducted in the post-ANG period (157.1 ± 93.6/week), while in the 2019-post period, 3907 were performed (390.7 ± 43.1/week) (p = 0.0003). However, in the post-ANG period, an increase in the proportion of reconstructive compared with aesthetic surgery was observed. The maintenance of highly complex procedures such as microsurgical transplants was also identified. CONCLUSIONS: The predominant profile of reconstructive surgeries at the Division of Plastic Surgery allowed the continuity of procedures at all technical complexity levels, patient care maintenance, and Plastic Surgery residents training. Level of evidence: not ratable