Elective Operation Scheduling during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract
We were greatly interested to read the article by Prachand and colleagues1 Prachand V.N. Milner R. Angelos P. et al. Medically necessary, time-sensitive procedures: scoring system to ethically and efficiently manage resource scarcity and provider risk during the COVID-19 pandemic. J Am Coll Surg. 2020; 231 : 281-288 Abstract Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (115) Google Scholar on the scoring system that empowers surgery departments to prioritize medically necessary operations that should not be delayed because of risk associated with COVID-19. COVID-19 is reducing the ability to perform surgical procedures worldwide, giving rise to a multitude of ethical and medical dilemmas. A critical issue is balancing the benefit of surgery against the unknown risk of developing COVID-19 and its associated complications. All elective/nonurgent procedures have been cancelled or postponed to a later date all over the globe. In such a scenario, this scoring system seems to be a promising tool for assessing and scheduling elective operations.