• Jarlath C Bolger, Noel E Donlon, Waqas Butt, Colm Neary, Mohammed Al Azzawi, Orla Brett, Sinead King, Eithne Downey, Mayilone Arumugasamy, Thomas Murphy, William B Robb, Chris G Collins, Paul A Carroll, Claire L Donohoe, Narayanasamy Ravi, and John V Reynolds.
• Trinity St. James's Cancer Institute, Dublin, Ireland.
• Ir J Med Sci. 2022 Apr 1; 191 (2): 831-837.

IntroductionThe emergence of the novel coronavirus Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and the coronavirus disease COVID-19 has impacted enormously on non-COVID-19-related hospital care. Curtailment of intensive care unit (ICU) access threatens complex surgery, particularly impacting on outcomes for time-sensitive cancer surgery. Oesophageal cancer surgery is a good example. This study explored the impact of the pandemic on process and short-term surgical outcomes, comparing the first wave of the pandemic from April to June in 2020 with the same period in 2019.MethodsData from all four Irish oesophageal cancer centres were reviewed. All patients undergoing resection for oesophageal malignancy from 1 April to 30 June inclusive in 2020 and 2019 were included. Patient, disease, and peri-operative outcomes (including COVID-19 infection) were compared.ResultsIn 2020, 45 patients underwent oesophagectomy, and 53 in the equivalent period in 2019. There were no differences in patient demographics, co-morbidities, or use of neoadjuvant therapy. The median time to surgery from neoadjuvant therapy was 8 weeks in both 2020 and 2019. There were no significant differences in operative interventions between the two time periods. There was no difference in operative morbidity in 2020 and 2019 (28% vs 40%, p = 0.28). There was no in-hospital mortality in either period. No patient contracted COVID-19 in the perioperative period.ConclusionsContinuing surgical resection for oesophageal cancer was feasible and safe during the COVID-19 pandemic in Ireland. The national response to this threat was therefore successful by these criteria in the curative management of oesophageal cancer.© 2021. Royal Academy of Medicine in Ireland.

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