Adapting Neurosurgery Practice During The Covid-19 Pandemic In The Indian Subcontinent

Deora, Harsh; Mishra, Shashwat; Tripathi, Manjul; Garg, Kanwaljeet; Tandon, Vivek; Borkar, Sachin; Varshney, Nagesh; Raut, Rupesh; Chaurasia, Bipin; Chandra, P Sarat; Kale, S. S.

ABSTRACT Background The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the practice of neurosurgery. Significant resources have been dedicated to it. The pandemic in the Indian subcontinent, when compared to the rest of the world, is relatively delayed. The neurosurgical practice cannot remain unaffected by hugely disruptive measures such as a lockdown. The inevitable rise in covid infections with its gradual relaxation continues to pose a risk for health care providers. Therefore, it is imperative to evaluate whether the pandemic has had a discernible effect on the same especially in terms of practice modifications in private establishments and publicly funded hospitals, the emotional impact on the surgeon, and the influence of social media on the psyche of the surgeon. Material and Methods An online questionnaire-based survey was prepared, with questions related to the COVID specific themes of precautions taken in outpatient services and operation theaters, the influence of social media, the economic loss incurred, and the perceptible impact of telemedicine and webinars. The links to the survey were mailed to neurosurgeons in private and public practice all over the country. The responses were anonymized to ensure free and unbiased answers to the survey questions. Results A total of 176 responses were received from all over the Indian Sub-Continent. The median age of respondents was 39years (range 32-70 yrs) and the post-residency experience was 7years (range 0-34 yrs). Respondents were an equitable mix of public and private practitioners. 46% of the respondents were practicing restricted outpatient services, more in public institutions (p=0.22) which also had a higher incidence of tele-outpatient services(26% vs 17%). Wearing surgical masks, N-95 masks, and gloves were the most commonly practised precautionary measures in outpatient services(>60%). While private practitioners were continuing elective cases(40%), public institutes were more cautious with only emergencies being operated(29%). The greatest fear among all practitioners was passing the infection to the family (75%). Social media was helpful for brainstorming queries and updating practice modifications, but some surgeons admitted to receiving threats upon social media platforms(37.5%). Depression and economic losses were palpable for approximately 30% neurosurgeons. Conclusion The survey highlights the perception of the neurosurgeons towards the pandemic and the difference in public-private practice. Suspension of elective procedures, severe curtailment of the regular outpatient appointments, drastic modifications of the normal OPD/OR practices and apprehensions related to inadequacy of safety provided by PPE usage and financial losses of private establishments were some of the visible themes in our survey results. Though telemedicine has not been as widely adopted as expected, yet online education has been favourably received.