Background The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) pandemic caused disruptions in treatment for cancer. Less is known about its impact on new cancer diagnoses, where delays could cause worsening long‐term outcomes. This study quantifies decreases in encounters related to prostate, lung, bladder and colorectal cancers, procedures that facilitate their diagnosis, and new diagnoses of those cancers in the COVID era compared to pre‐COVID era. Methods All encounters at Veterans' Affairs facilities nationwide from 2016 through 2020 were reviewed. The authors quantified trends in new diagnoses of cancer and in procedures facilitating their diagnosis, from January 1, 2018 onward. Using 2018 to 2019 as baseline, reductions in procedures and new cancer diagnoses in 2020 were estimated. Calculated absolute and percentage differences in annual volume and observed‐to‐expected volume ratios were calculated. Heat maps and funnel plots of volume changes were generated. Results From 2018 through 2020, there were 4.1 million cancer‐related encounters, 3.9 million relevant procedures, and 251,647 new cancers diagnosed. Compared to the annual averages in 2018 through 2019, colonoscopies in 2020 decreased by 45% whereas prostate biopsies, chest computed tomography scans, and cystoscopies decreased by 29%, 10%, and 21%, respectively. New cancer diagnoses decreased by 13% to 23%. These drops varied by state and continued to accumulate despite reductions in pandemic‐related restrictions. Conclusion The authors identified substantial reductions in procedures used to diagnose cancer and subsequent reductions in new diagnoses of cancer across the United States because of the COVID‐19 pandemic. A nomogram is provided to identify and resolve these unmet health care needs and avoid worse long‐term cancer outcomes. Lay Summary The disruptions due to the COVID‐19 pandemic have led to substantial reductions in new cancers being diagnosed. This study quantifies those reductions in a national health care system and offers a method for understanding the backlog of cases and the resources needed to resolve them.

Background The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in over 225,000 excess deaths in the United States. A moratorium on elective surgery was placed early in the pandemic to reduce risk to patients and staff and preserve critical care resources. This report evaluates the impact of the elective surgical moratorium on case volumes and intensive care unit (ICU) bed utilization. Methods This retrospective review used a national convenience sample to correlate trends in the weekly rates of surgical cases at 170 Veterans Affairs Hospitals around the United States from January 1 to September 30, 2020 to national trends in the COVID-19 pandemic. We reviewed data on weekly number of procedures performed and ICU bed usage, stratified by level of urgency (elective, urgent, emergency), and whether an ICU bed was required within 24 hours of surgery. National data on the proportion of COVID-19 positive test results and mortality rates were obtained from the Center for Disease Control website. Results 198,911 unique surgical procedures performed during the study period. The total number of cases performed from January 1 to March 16 was 86,004 compared with 15,699 from March 17 to May 17. The reduction in volume occurred before an increase in the percentage of COVID-19 positive test results and deaths nationally. There was a 91% reduction from baseline in the number of elective surgeries performed allowing 78% of surgical ICU beds to be available for COVID-19 positive patients. Conclusion The moratorium on elective surgical cases was timely and effective in creating bed capacity for critically ill COVID-19 patients. Further analyses will allow targeted resource allocation for future pandemic planning.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of COVID-19 vaccination on postoperative mortality, pulmonary and thrombotic complications, readmissions and hospital lengths of stay among patients undergoing surgery in the United States. Background: While vaccination prevents COVID-19, little is known about its impact on postoperative complications. Methods: This is a nationwide observational cohort study of all 1,255 Veterans Affairs facilities nationwide. We compared patients undergoing surgery at least 2 weeks after their second dose of the Pfizer BioNTech or Moderna vaccines, to contemporary propensity score matched controls. Primary endpoints were 30-day mortality and postoperative COVID-19 infection. Secondary endpoints were pulmonary or thrombotic complications, readmissions, and hospital lengths of stay. Results: 30,681 patients met inclusion criteria. After matching, there were 3,104 in the vaccination group (1,903 received the Pfizer BioNTech, and 1,201 received the Moderna vaccine) and 7,438 controls. Full COVID-19 vaccination was associated with lower rates of postoperative 30-day COVID-19 infection (Incidence Rate Ratio and 95% confidence intervals, 0.09 [0.01,0.44]), pulmonary complications (0.54 [0.39, 0.72]), thrombotic complications (0.68 [0.46, 0.99]) and decreased hospital lengths of stay (0.78 [0.69, 0.89]). Complications were also low in vaccinated patients who tested COVID-19 positive before surgery but events were too few to detect a significant difference compared to controls. Conclusion: COVID-19 vaccination is associated with lower rates of postoperative morbidity. The benefit is most pronounced among individuals who have never had a COVID-19 infection before surgery.

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Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has necessitated the adoption of protocols to minimize risk of periprocedural complications associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection. This typically involves a preoperative symptom screen and nasal swab RT-PCR test for viral RNA. Asymptomatic patients with a negative COVID-19 test are cleared for surgery. However, little is known about the rate of postoperative COVID-19 positivity among elective surgical patients, risk factors for this group and rate of complications. Methods: This prospective multicenter study included all patients undergoing elective surgery at 170 Veterans Health Administration (VA) hospitals across the United States. Patients were divided into groups based on first positive COVID-19 test within 30 days after surgery (COVID[-/þ]), before surgery (COVID[þ/À]) or negative throughout (COVID[À/À]). The cumulative incidence, risk factors for and complications of COVID[-/þ], were estimated using univariate analysis, exact matching, and multivariable regression. Results: Between March 1 and December 1, 2020 90,093 patients underwent elective surgery. Of these, 60,853 met inclusion criteria, of which 310 (0.5%) were in the COVID[-/þ] group. Adjusted multivariable logistic regression identified female sex, end stage renal disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, congestive heart failure, cancer, cirrhosis, and undergoing neurosurgical procedures as risk factors for being in the COVID[-/þ] group. After matching on current procedural terminology code and month of procedure, multivariable Poisson regression estimated the complication rate ratio for the COVID[-/þ] group vs. COVID[À/À] to be 8.4 (C.I. 4.9e14.4) for pulmonary complications, 3.0 (2.2, 4.1) for major complications, and 2.6 (1.9, 3.4) for any complication. Discussion: Despite preoperative COVID-19 screening, there remains a risk of COVID infection within 30 days after elective surgery. This risk is increased for patients with a high comorbidity burden and those undergoing neurosurgical procedures. Higher intensity preoperative screening and closer postoperative monitoring is warranted in such patients because they have a significantly elevated risk of postoperative complications.

We believe that the subparaneurial compartment-a potential space between the epineurium and paraneurium-provides a tissue plane within which benign vascular lesions can occur. Hemangiomas and vascular malformations are complex and can occupy different intraneural and extraneural compartments. The anatomic framework aids surgical decision-making and ensures that all components of the lesion are considered. We advocate a multimodal approach in the treatment of these rare lesions.

Lung ischemia-reperfusion injury (LIRI) and primary graft dysfunction are leading causes of morbidity and mortality among lung transplant recipients. Although extensive research endeavors have been undertaken, few preventative and therapeutic treatments have emerged for clinical use. Novel strategies are still needed to improve outcomes after lung transplantation. In this review, we discuss the underlying mechanisms of transplanted LIRI, potential modifiable targets, current practices, and areas of ongoing investigation to reduce LIRI and primary graft dysfunction in lung transplant recipients.

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