AAOS released updated guidelines on elective surgery during the COVID-19 pandemic. These guidelines should be applied judiciously depending on your location, where your area/institution happens to be situated relative to the curve of the disease, and the availability or scarcity of your resources, including personal protective equipment, intensive care unit (ICU) beds, respirators, and personnel. It is AAOS’ position that every locality should be making their own decisions based on the availability of resources and personnel. In these situations, a panel that includes the head of the hospital (or the designee), chief of the ICU, chief of anesthesia, and chief of orthopaedic surgery should form a committee to review any prospective surgery. W
here feasible, input from the state department of health should be solicited.
Read the guidelines…
