Introduction:

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to changes in the care structure in hospitals around the world, seeking the best way to adapt in response to the increase in patients infected with the virus, without neglecting the needs of patients not affected by it. The objective of this study is to describe the perception of the surgical community on the impact that the COVID-19 pandemic has had on the surgical services in Colombia.

Methods:

Descriptive cross-sectional study using a structured survey consisting of 10 multiple-choice questions and 8 questions with Likert-type items. It was distributed electronically to residents of general surgery, general surgeons, or sub-specialists who had clinical practice in Colombia.

Results:

464 participants were included, 27.8% were women and 45.3% were general surgeons. About half resided in Bogotá (51.4%) or worked in a private university hospital (48.3%). 78.8% of the respondents considered that the safety recommendations are effective and 76.6% feel safe performing procedures with them. However, 63% consider that these are partially met. So far, 20% of participants reported having had direct contact with COVID-19 positive patients. Finally, the majority (93%) agree to the cancellation of elective procedures and are willing to be relocated to other services if necessary.

Conclusions:

There is a consensus in the perception of the COVID-19 pandemic impact in the surgery services without observing significant variability regarding the level of training or the type of hospital institution.

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