ABSTRACT
Introduction &Objective: The impact of COVID-19 in the United States has adversely impacted physicians. Fears of contracting SARS-CoV-2 has led to institutions requiring preoperative COVID screening in patients undergoing surgery. We present the results at a single institution with regard to the effectiveness of a screening program in patients scheduled for minimally invasive surgery. Method(s): Since April 2020, all patients that were scheduled for elective minimally invasive surgery by a single surgeon underwent COVID testing between 48 and 72 hours prior to surgery. Patients were advised to self-quarantine between the testing date and surgery date. In patients that tested positive for SARS-CoV-2, the surgery was postponed. The surgeon also underwent routine COVID testing between 1-4 times per month during this time period. Result(s): A total of 631 surgeries were scheduled between April 2020 and February 2022. Of these, 221 were performed in 2020, 352 in 2021, and 58 in 2022 YTD. Nine asymptomatic patients (1.4%) tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 and had surgery postponed for a minimum of 2 weeks. Eight patients rescheduled surgery after a repeat negative test result. The surgeon tested negative for SARS-CoV-2 based on rapid and PCR testing. Conclusion(s): At a time when the physician burnout rate is high, the added stress of the COVID-19 pandemic has had a deleterious effect on the quality of life of physicians. The institution of mandatory COVID screening in patients prior to surgery is not only effective in protecting the physical health of surgeons, but it can also have a positive impact on mental wellbeing.