Changing practice patterns in head and neck oncologic surgery in the early COVID-19 era.

Kiong, Kimberley L; Guo, Theresa; Yao, Christopher M K L; Gross, Neil D; Hanasono, Matthew M; Ferrarotto, Renata; Rosenthal, David I; Myers, Jeffrey N; Hanna, Ehab Y; Lai, Stephen Y

BACKGROUND The novel coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has changed health care, challenged by resource constraints and fears of transmission. We report the surgical practice pattern changes in a Head and Neck Surgery department of a tertiary cancer care center and discuss the issues surrounding multidisciplinary care during the pandemic. METHODS We report data regarding outpatient visits, multidisciplinary treatment planning conference, surgical caseload, and modifications of oncologic therapy during this pandemic and compared this data to the same interval last year. RESULTS We found a 46.7% decrease in outpatient visits and a 46.8% decrease in surgical caseload, compared to 2019. We discuss the factors involved in the decision-making process and perioperative considerations. CONCLUSIONS Surgical practice patterns in head and neck oncologic surgery will continue to change with the evolving pandemic. Despite constraints, we strive to prioritize and balance the oncologic and safety needs of patients with head and neck cancer in the face of COVID-19.