Background The current COVID-19 pandemic has challenged the infrastructure of the healthcare systems. To cope with the pandemic, substantial changes were introduced to surgical practice and education all over the world. Methods A scoping search in PubMed and Google Scholar was done using the search terms: “ Coronavirus,” “COVID-19”, “SARS-CoV-2”, “nCoV-2019”, and “surgery.” They were either searched individually or in combination. All relevant articles of any study design (published within December 15, 2019, till the mid of June 2020), were included and narratively discussed in this review. Results Sixty-six articles were reviewed in this article. Through these articles, we provide guidance and recommendations on the preoperative preparation and safety precautions, intraoperative precautions, postoperative precautions, postoperative complications (related to COVID-19), surgical scheduling, emergency surgeries, elective surgeries, cancer surgery, psychological impact on surgical teams, and surgical training during the COVID-19 pandemic. Conclusion COVID-19 pandemic has affected nearly all aspects of surgical procedures, scheduling, and staffing. Special precautions were taken before, during, or after surgeries. New treatment and teaching modalities emerged in response to the pandemic. Psychological support and training platforms are necessary for the surgical team. Highlights • Strict surgical protective measures should be taken to avoid viral transmission. • Decision to postpone elective surgeries is a multidisciplinary one. • Mental and psychological support is essential for surgeons during the pandemic. • The pandemic profoundly impacts surgical practice and training. • Guidelines to improve surgical practice during the pandemic are rapidly evolving.
【저자키워드】 coronavirus, surgery, Telemedicine, Emergency, World Health Organization, 【초록키워드】 COVID-19, Treatment, pandemic, COVID-19 pandemic, Cancer, surgical, guideline, psychological Impact, Impact, Study design, Complication, Viral transmission, psychological support, change, Precaution, platform, Guidance, Protective, Combination, Elective surgery, Google Scholar, Healthcare systems, Support, surgeon, elective surgeries, decision, measure, article, precautions, recommendation, articles, IMPROVE, Result, affected, searched, introduced, postoperative, New, was done, intraoperative, 【제목키워드】 COVID-19 pandemic, surgical,