Key result
First-wave COVID-19 forces 65% of vascular units to restrict carotid surgery and alter treatment pathways.
Why the study?
The COVID-19 pandemic had an unprecedented impact on healthcare delivery, prompting a need to capture its global impact on vascular patient care during the first wave.
How did the first COVID-19 pandemic wave impact global vascular services and treatment pathways?
Cross-Sectional (n=249)
Yes
How did the first COVID-19 pandemic wave impact global vascular services and treatment pathways?
The first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic caused major disruptions to global vascular services, including widespread cancellation of elective surgeries and surveillance, likely leading to a significant future disease burden.
Vascular service disruptions may increase future disease burden; leaves open questions on long-term outcomes and optimal recovery strategies.
Background The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is having an unprecedented impact on healthcare delivery. This international qualitative study captured the global impact on vascular patient care during the first pandemic ‘wave’. Methods An online structured survey was used to collect regular unit-level data regarding the modification to a wide range of vascular services and treatment pathways on a global scale. Results The survey commenced on 23 rd March 2020 worldwide. Over six weeks, 249 vascular units took part in 53 countries (465 individual responses). Overall, 65% of units stopped carotid surgery for anyone except patients with crescendo symptoms or offered surgery on a case-by-case basis, 25% only intervened for symptomatic aortic aneurysms cancelling all ‘elective’ repairs. For patients with symptomatic peripheral arterial disease 60% of units moved to an endovascular-first strategy. For patients who had previously undergone endovascular aortic aneurysm repair, 31.8% of units stopped all postoperative surveillance. Of those units regularly engaging in multidisciplinary team meetings, 59.5% of units stopped regular meetings and 39.1% had not replaced them. Further, 20% of units did not have formal personal protective equipment (PPE) guidelines in place and 25% reported insufficient PPE availability. Conclusions The COVID-19 pandemic has had a major impact on vascular services worldwide. There will be a significant vascular disease burden awaiting screening and intervention after the pandemic.
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Benson et al. (2020) conducted a cross-sectional in Vascular services during COVID-19 pandemic (n=249). COVID-19 pandemic (first wave) vs. Pre-pandemic practice was evaluated on Modification to vascular services and treatment pathways. During the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, 65% of vascular units restricted carotid surgery, 25% cancelled all elective aortic aneurysm repairs, and 60% adopted an endovascular-first strategy for peripheral arterial disease.