key: cord-0730142-j4g796d9
authors: Goldstein, Daniel J.
title: Commentary: Pandemic Deployment and Surgical Soldiership
date: 2020-06-05
journal: J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg
DOI: 10.1016/j.jtcvs.2020.05.059
sha: 06a5e1218f4b7d7f9359db435ce106bbfa2827a4
doc_id: 730142
cord_uid: j4g796d9

nan

Central Message: A necessary quality for aspiring and practicing surgeons is preparedness. Precious lessons in how to manage resources, deploy personnel and prioritize cardiac surgery patients in the midst of a pandemic are presented. Interestingly, while the authors briefly discuss the potential use of venoarterial ECMO, they make no mention of their position on the use of venovenous ECMO, a procedure that has been used for pulmonary support in over 300 critically ill Covid patients in the US. Finally, the authors emphasize the importance of close follow -up of postponed patients to ensure stability of symptoms.

The frequently heard aphorism "failing to prepare is preparing to fail" seems most appropriate here. The lessons shared by the authors who are living at the epicenter of the disease, should be widely shared and memorialized. Recent pronouncements from the Centers for Disease control suggest that we may witness a dreadful second wave of coronavirus in the fall, compounded by the arrival of the typical flu season. It is clear that "novel" viruses that historically have inflicted more casualties than any war or natural catastrophe will continue to test our societies. In the heels of the pandemic, hospitals will need to reexamine their posture on stockpiling of medications, PPE and vital equipment, and redeployment and replacement of staff. Unfortunately, the sacrifices made by frontline health care workers and the unparalleled scientific and humanitarian collaboration that has defined this pandemic, are likely to be forgotten as weeks and months of "normalcy" set in. We cannot allow for this convenient amnesia to ensue.

The Rapid Transformation of Cardiac Surgery Practice in the COVID-19 Pandemic: Insights and Clinical Strategies from a Center at the Epicenter