Covid-19 pandemi sürecinde baş boyun ve kafa tabanı bölgesinde uyguladığımız tümör cerrahisi deneyimlerimiz

Abstract

Procedures requiring surgery in the head and neck region are very risky in terms of COVID-19 transmission due to the proximity of the surgical team to the upper respiratory tract. The rapid progress of the COVID-19 pandemic and the disease becoming a healthcare priority have resulted in changes in the health systems of countries. This situation has negatively affected patients with head and neck tumors In addition, there have been some delays in patient admissions, diagnosis, and treatment due to the pandemic. This paper discusses the major head and neck surgical operations performed at our clinic between March 11, 2020, and March 11, 2022. Among the total 134 operated patients, the diagnosis was malignancy in the pathological examination of 79 patients and a benign tumor in 55 patients. This number does not include patients who received chemotherapy and radiotherapy without surgery after diagnosis, or biopsy procedures. The polymerase chain reaction test for COVID-19 was performed in all the patients at 24-48 hours before surgery, and none of our healthcare personnel was infected. In this study, we assess our experience in head, neck and skull base tumors during COVID-19 pandemic.