MHC has updated its guidance for elective surgeries after COVID infection based on new recommendations from anesthesia.
Elective procedures should not be performed in patients who are symptomatic with COVID-19 or who are suspected of having COVID-19. For patients who have had COVID-19, elective procedures should ideally be delayed until the patient has recovered to baseline cardiopulmonary status and is no longer infectious. The policy is consistent with our historical standard practice of delaying elective surgeries following a respiratory illness.
MHC’s updated guidelines, based on national guidance, recommend:
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Test patients who develop symptoms of COVID-19 within 7 weeks of a planned surgery.
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Elective surgery should ideally not be undertaken within 2 weeks of a new diagnosis of COVID-19.
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If patients are low risk (age, comorbidities, and functional status) or are having low risk surgery, most elective surgery can proceed 2 weeks following a COVID-19 diagnosis.
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If patients are not low risk or are planned to have surgery that is not low risk, surgery between 2 and 7 weeks of infection is advised with timing based on individual risk assessment. Further details on patient assessment including access to validated risk prediction tools are available within the guidelines themselves.
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There is no evidence to support delaying surgery beyond 7 weeks for patients who have fully recovered from or have had a mild COVID-19 infection.
It is best practice for all providers involved in a surgical case to have a conversation regarding risk.
If surgery is deemed necessary during a period of likely increased risk, those potential risks should be documented in the medical record and included in the informed consent and shared decision-making with the patient.
For more information, read MHC Guidelines for Elective Surgery/Procedures and Anesthesia for Patients Following COVID-19 Infections, which is available here.