Introduction: Following the nationwide lockdown in India, most hospitals shut down elective surgeries including cancer surgeries. We continued operating on patients with cancer at a tertiary referral center in Western India, which also served as a COVID care center. We also constructed a questionnaire, exclusive to surgeons, to determine the changes in treatment strategies as well as the response to the pandemic. Methods: The complications of all cases operated in the study period (March 22, 2020-June 30, 2020) were graded using the Clavien-Dindo classification. Also, an anonymous structured questionnaire was constructed and e-mailed to all surgical oncologists working at our institute. Results: Of the 118 patients having an operation, 18 had complications. There were 12 Grade I/II and 6 Grade III complications but none of our patients had Grade-IV/V complications. When the staff of the main operating theater tested COVID positive, the complex was shut down. However surgical oncology work continued at an affiliated institute about 10 km away from the main hospital. Conclusion: We had favorable outcomes while operating on cancer patients in a COVID care center. The results of our questionnaire proved that surgeons were willing to risk their personal safety to provide surgical oncology care.
Introduction
The COVID‐19 outbreak and the subsequent declaration of pandemic was an unprecedented event, which created different complex situations for treatment of cancer patients. A critical assessment of the response to this calamity and its impact on healthcare workers (HCWs) and patient care in a dedicated cancer hospital is analyzed.
Site of Study
Indrayani Cancer Hospital, Alandi, Pune, India.
Materials and Methods
Due to the pandemic, standard operating protocols were decided on for each department. Analysis of the impact on healthcare was done by comparing the number of patients taking treatment in the lockdown period in India with the previous year's data in the same corresponding period in all three departments. The impact of COVID infection on the HCW and its repercussions were analyzed.
Results
There was a marked decrease in the total number of patients during the lockdown period. The most affected department was surgical oncology. None of our patients contracted COVID‐19, but one HCW was found to be positive.
Conclusion
Strict adherence to protocols along with the support of the government authorities can prevent the spread of this virus thus providing optimal patient outcomes. The treatment of patients with cancer should not be delayed, even in times of a pandemic.
A 30 years gentleman presented with anaemia since last ten years due to recurrent rectal bleeding. He has had multiple admissions with transfusions in the preceding 10 years without a clear clinical diagnosis. His physical examination revealed gross pallor, prominent veins on the lateral side of the left lower limb with minimal hypertrophy and a hemangiomatous patch over the left buttock. Colonoscopy revealed a few dilated tortuous submucosal vessels in the rectum and sigmoid colon. A MR angiogram showed absent left popliteal vein and angiomatous lesions in the rectum and sigmoid colon. He was diagnosed to have Klippel-Trenaunay syndrome with hemangiomata of the lower gastrointestinal tract causing bleeding. He underwent a low anterior resection with stapled anastomosis, which has effectively controlled his bleeding. Adults with gastrointestinal bleeding due to congenital venous malformations commonly have visible external stigmata, which are often pointers of rare syndromes.
Type 1 neurofibromatosis (NF1) is a hereditary disorder with an incidence of approximately 1:3000 at birth. Gastrointestinal (GI) lesions occur in approximately one-third of the patients, with most being asymptomatic and diagnosed incidentally. Symptomatic lesions leading to GI bleeding are uncommon. We share our experience of an elderly man with NF1, who presented with massive recurrent GI bleeding secondary to jejunal neurofibromas. The lesions were identified on CT scan of abdomen, and the patient was managed with resection of the involved bowel segment.
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