Restitution of the NHS breast reconstruction service during the recovery phase of the Covid 19 pandemic

J Plast Reconstr Aesthet Surg. 2021 Mar;74(3):644-710. doi: 10.1016/j.bjps.2020.10.028. Epub 2020 Nov 6.

Abstract

During the recovery restitution phase of the coronavirus pandemic, breast reconstruction teams have faced particular challenges to restarting this essential service. This is due to the length and complexity of the surgery, along with the demands on healthcare staff. The Royal College of Surgeons have classified immediate breast reconstruction as priority 2 and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence have provided a pre-operative pathway for resumption of elective procedures. We therefore describe our experience in restarting our service for providing a breast reconstruction service from the 29th June 2020.

Keywords: COVID 19; Coronavirus; DIEP; breast reconstruction; free tissue flaps; pandemic.

Publication types

  • Letter

MeSH terms

  • Breast Neoplasms* / epidemiology
  • Breast Neoplasms* / surgery
  • COVID-19* / epidemiology
  • COVID-19* / prevention & control
  • Critical Pathways* / organization & administration
  • Critical Pathways* / trends
  • Elective Surgical Procedures* / methods
  • Elective Surgical Procedures* / statistics & numerical data
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Infection Control / methods
  • Infection Control / organization & administration
  • Mammaplasty* / methods
  • Mammaplasty* / statistics & numerical data
  • Organizational Innovation
  • Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care
  • SARS-CoV-2
  • State Medicine / organization & administration
  • State Medicine / trends
  • United Kingdom / epidemiology