SARS-Cov-2 Was Not Found in the Peritoneal Fluid of an Asymptomatic Patient Undergoing Laparoscopic Appendectomy

Romero-Velez, Gustavo; Pereira, Xavier; Zenilman, Ariela; Camacho, Diego

BACKGROUND: The safety of laparoscopic surgery in SARS-CoV-2 positive patients remains unclear. The presence of the virus within peritoneal fluid and the peritoneal tissues is not known. We report an asymptomatic COVID-19 positive patient who underwent laparoscopic appendectomy with negative peritoneal sampling for SARS-CoV-2. MATERIALS AND METHODS: During a standard 3 port laparoscopic surgery samples peritoneal fluid, peritoneal brushings, and surgical smoke plum were collected. Specific real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction targeting SARS-CoV-2 were used to detect the presence of the virus in the samples. RESULTS: SARS-CoV-2 was not detected on multiple samples of the peritoneum in an asymptomatic patient. CONCLUSIONS: SARS-CoV-2 was not found in the peritoneum of a single patient with asymptomatic infection. Further studies comparing SARS-CoV-2 surgical candidates are needed to address safety concerns.