Surgery of head, neck, and skull base tumours during the COVID-19 pandemic; single center experience

Year 2023, Volume: 16 Issue: 1, 23 - 28, 31.01.2023

Ergin Bilgin , Deniz Baklacı , Mustafa Dalgıç , Emrah Keskin

https://doi.org/10.31362/patd.1125577

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to provide usable instructions on how to avoid delays in the diagnosis and treatment of head and neck tumors during COVID-19 pandemic.
Material and Methods: Major head and neck surgeries performed in our clinic between March 11, 2020 and March 11, 2022 were included in the study. All patients underwent polymerase chain reaction testing for COVID-19 24-48 hours before surgery. A total of 134 patients (110 men, 24 women) were operated. While malignant diagnosis was made in the pathological examination in 79 patients, the diagnosis of benign tumor was made in 55 of our patients. A total of 167 procedures were applied.
Results: No COVID-19 related postoperative complications developed. Neck dissection was mostly performed in addition to the excision of the primary malignancy. Primary neck dissection was undertaken in six patients. Although most of the parotidectomy operations were performed for primary parotid masses, parotidectomy was required in addition to surgical excision in six patients due to primary skin tumors. Reconstruction was undertaken using free flaps in three patients. Local flaps were used for defect repair in other head and neck operations.
Conclusions: With rigorous preoperative COVID-19 screening and isolation, head and neck surgical procedures can be continued to avoid delay in diagnosis and treatment without compromising the risk of transmission of COVID-19 to patients or healthcare workers.

Keywords

pandemic, head and neck surgery, skull base surgery

COVID-19 pandemi sürecinde baş boyun ve kafa tabanı bölgesinde tümör cerrahisi: tek merkez deneyimi

Abstract

Amaç: Bu çalışmanın amacı baş boyun tümörü tanılı hastalarda COCID-19 pandemisi sürecinde tanı ve tedavi gecikmelerini azaltmak amacaıyla tecrübelerimizi ve önerilerimizi sunmaktır.
Gereç ve yöntem: Çalışmaya 11 Mart 2020 tarihi ile 11 Mart 2022 tarihleri arasında kliniğimizde gerçekleştirilen major baş boyun cerrahileri dahil edildi. Tüm hastalara ameliyattan 24-48 saat önce COVID-19 için polimeraz zincir reaksiyon testi yapıldı. Toplamda 134 hasta (110 erkek, 24 kadın) opere edilmiştir. 79 hastada patolojik incelemede malign tanı koyulmuşken, 55 hastamızda bening tümör tanısı koyulmuştur. Toplamda 167 işlem uygulandı.
Bulgular: COVID-19 ilişkili postoperatif komplikasyon gelişmedi. Boyun diseksiyonu en sık primer malignitenin eksizyonuna ek olarak yapıldı. Primer boyun diseksiyonu ise altı hastada yapıldı. Parotidektomi cerrahisi daha çok primer parotis kitlelerine yönelik yapıldı ancak altı hastada primer cilt tümörüne ek olarak yapıldı. Üç hastada serbest flap ile rekonstrüksiyon yapılırken diğer tüm hastalarda lokal flapler kullanıldı.
Sonuç: Titiz preoperatif COVID-19 taraması ve izolasyonu ile COVID-19'un hastalara veya sağlık çalışanlarına bulaşma riskini tehlikeye atmadan tanı ve tedavide gecikmeyi önlemek için baş ve boyun cerrahi prosedürlerine devam edilebilir.

Keywords

Pandemi, baş boyun cerrahisi, kafa tabanı cerrahisi

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