Resuming Elective Surgery

Statements and Positions

• Updated Statement: ASA and APSF Joint Statement on Elective Surgery/Procedures and Anesthesia for Patients after COVID-19 Infection (June 20, 2023)
• Updated Statement: ASA and APSF Joint Statement on Perioperative Testing for the COVID-19 Virus (June 15, 2022)

Resources and Planning Guidance

• Ask questions, share insights, get guidance from the ASA Community
• FAQs - Resuming Elective Surgery
• FAQs - COVID-19 and Patient Testing

News

• ASA Monitor: When Things Got Real: Optimizing Perioperative Resources in the Face of a COVID-19 Surge (January 2022)
• Becker’s Hospital Review: Washington requires hospitals to temporarily halt nonurgent procedures (January 14, 2022)
• Becker’s Hospital Review: 40 NY hospitals ordered to halt elective surgeries (January 10, 2022)
• CalMatters: California weighs order canceling elective surgeries (January 9, 2022)
• KSDK: BJC halts elective surgeries (January 5, 2022)
• Chicago Tribune: Chicago-area hospitals delaying elective surgeries (January 3, 2022)

Information and Resources – Archive

Statements and Positions

• Statement on Early Access to COVID-19 Vaccination for Anesthesia Professionals (December 12, 2020)
• Updated Joint Statement: Roadmap for Maintaining Essential Surgery during COVID-19 Pandemic (November 23, 2020)
• Joint Statement: Roadmap for Maintaining Essential Surgery during COVID-19 Pandemic (August 10, 2020)
• AdvaMed Joins AORN, AHA in Issuing “Re-entry Guidance for Health Care Facilities and Medical Device Representatives” Built on Joint Statement with ASA and ACS (June 4, 2020)
• ASA/ACS/AORN/AHA Joint Statement: Roadmap for Resuming Elective Surgery after COVID-19 Pandemic (April 17, 2020) 
• Joint AGA/DHPA Guidance: Recommendations for Resumption of Elective Endoscopy During the COVID-19 Pandemic (April 27, 2020)

Resources and Planning Guidance

• SAMBA Checklist for COVID-SAFE Ambulatory Surgical Facilities (May 15, 2020)
• Resuming Elective Procedures: A Checklist of Considerations, produced by the Health Care Advisory Board (April 24, 2020)
• American College of Surgeons (ACS) Post-COVID-10 Readiness Checklist for Resuming Surgery
• CMS Issues Guidelines for Resuming Elective Surgeries: On April 19, CMS issued guidelines for hospitals in regions with low incidence of COVID-19 to resume elective surgeries.
• Preoperative COVID Testing: Examples from Around the U.S.: Summary of the actual testing policies from a sample of hospitals and medical centers, ranging from rural critical access hospitals to some of the largest academic medical centers, as of the second week of May. Compiled by APSF and ASA, review real-world facility policies as compared to the ASA/APSF Joint Statement on Perioperative Testing.
• Recommendations to Optimize the Safety of Elective Surgical Care While Limiting the Spread of COVID-10
• Harvard Business Review: Covid-19 Created an Elective Surgery Backlog. How Can Hospitals Get Back on Track?
• How to Risk-Stratify Elective Surgery During the COVID-19 Pandemic (PDF): An editorial published in Patient Safety in Surgery.
• The New England Journal of Medicine Case Vignette: Elective Surgery During the Covid-19 Pandemic
• Timing of Surgery After Recovery from COVID-19: ACCRAC Podcast with Dr. Jed Wolpaw and Dr. Jason Chi

Webinars

• Becker’s Hospital Review webinar on February 17, 2021 – Looking Back to Better Prepare: Examining the Instability of Elective Procedures
• ASA/ACHE Joint Webinar – Challenges and Strategies in Restarting and Expanding Elective Surgery After COVID-19 
  Watch the special ASA/ACHE joint webinar on the challenges and strategies in restarting and expanding elective surgery after COVID-19. Insights and guidance were offered on patient and case priority, patient testing, PPE, workforce issues and resiliency, and go-forward plans.
• Watch the Town Hall Webinar from April 23, featuring a panel of experts offering insights on safe resumption of elective surgery, the latest laboratory testing, neuroanesthesia as well as economic tips and pitfalls. Watch and download the slides

News from August 2021 and Earlier