The Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons
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J Am Acad Orthop Surg · Feb 2021
Low Incidence of Asymptomatic Positive Patients Detected During Preoperative Testing for Total Joint Arthroplasty During the COVID-19 Pandemic.
Although the pause in elective surgery was necessary to preserve healthcare resources at the height of the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, recent data have highlighted the worsening pain, decline in physical activity, and increase in anxiety among cancelled total hip and knee arthroplasty patients. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of our staged reopening protocol and the incidence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) among elective arthroplasty patients. ⋯ Our phased reopening protocol with universal preoperative virus testing was safe and identified a low incidence of SARS-CoV-2 among asymptomatic, elective arthroplasty patients at our institution. With uncertainty regarding the trajectory of the COVID-19 pandemic, we hope that this research can guide future policy decisions regarding elective surgery.