Surgery not associated with higher complications and deaths in COVID patients: Centre

New Delhi: Joint Health Secretary Lav Agrawal stated that Surgery is safe in the COVID-19 patients and is not associated with higher chances of complications or deaths 

Addressing a media brief, Agrawal said that the patients irrespective of COVID infection who need surgery need not to be denied surgical intervention presently in latest variant of the same.

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Highlighting an analysis of surgeries during the current surge in COVID OT Cases in AIIMS Delhi from December 20, 2021 to January 20, 2022, Agrawal said that of the total 53 surgeries during this period, 32 were administered regional anesthesia and remaining 21 were given general anesthesia.

Out of 32 cases, 26 cases were Lower Segment Cesarean Sections (LSCS). But, no complications during surgery and immediate post operative periods were found, he said. In other cases also, no deaths and and complications were reported, he underlined.

Among those who were administered general anesthesia, major cases were serious like Laparotomy, Amputation, Bone flap removal and others. But, no respiratory problems and other risks during the surgery and post surgery have been noticed in clinical data of 21 cases, Agrawal said.

"Chest X-ray of all 21patients were not suggestive of COVID in the peri-operative period, indicating no respiratory complications after general anesthesia in COVID positive patients", said Agrawal.

"Out of 21 patients, 4 deaths have been reported but none of them are either linked or aggravated because of Covid-19. They are primarily due to other causes", he stated.

Therefore, surgery is safe in the present surge of COVID and need not to be delayed where persons are infected or not with COVID, he said. However, he also added that COVID cases are on decline trends now but it has not gone yet so we need to continue COVID Appropriate Behavior.

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