Background

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is the largest global event in recent times, with millions of infected people and hundreds of thousands of deaths worldwide. Colombia has also been affected by the pandemic, including by the cancellation of medically necessary surgical procedures that were categorized as nonessential. The objective of this study was to show the results of the program implemented in two institutions in Bogotá, Colombia, in April 2020 to support the performance of elective essential and nonessential low- and medium-complexity orthopedic surgeries during the mitigation phase of the COVID-19 pandemic, which involved a presurgical clinical protocol without serological or molecular testing.

Conclusion

Through the implementation of a presurgical clinical protocol consisting of a physical examination; a clinical survey inquiring about signs, symptoms, and epidemiological contact with suspected or confirmed cases; and presurgical isolation but not involving the performance of molecular or serological diagnostic tests, positive results were obtained with regard to the performance of low- and medium-complexity elective orthopedic surgeries in an early stage of the COVID-19 pandemic.