Safety Recommendations and Medical Liability in Ocular Surgery during the COVID-19 Pandemic: An Unsolved Dilemma

Ocular surgery is one of the most performed medical procedures in the world. Its limitation or suspension, recursively extended over time, could be associated with a significant increase in the number of blind people worldwide. Indeed, cataract causes more than half of all cases of visual impairment...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Pietro Emanuele Napoli, Matteo Nioi, Ernesto d’Aloja, Maurizio Fossarello
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2020-05-01
Series:Journal of Clinical Medicine
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0383/9/5/1403
id doaj-f73d81774a444bc3baf3dc874d90a437
record_format Article
spelling doaj-f73d81774a444bc3baf3dc874d90a4372020-11-25T02:55:08ZengMDPI AGJournal of Clinical Medicine2077-03832020-05-0191403140310.3390/jcm9051403Safety Recommendations and Medical Liability in Ocular Surgery during the COVID-19 Pandemic: An Unsolved DilemmaPietro Emanuele Napoli0Matteo Nioi1Ernesto d’Aloja2Maurizio Fossarello3Department of Surgical Science, University of Cagliari, Eye Clinic, via Ospedale 46, 09124 Cagliari, ItalyDepartment of Clinical Sciences and Public Health, University of Cagliari, Forensic Medicine Unit, 09124 Cagliari, ItalyDepartment of Clinical Sciences and Public Health, University of Cagliari, Forensic Medicine Unit, 09124 Cagliari, ItalyDepartment of Surgical Science, University of Cagliari, Eye Clinic, via Ospedale 46, 09124 Cagliari, ItalyOcular surgery is one of the most performed medical procedures in the world. Its limitation or suspension, recursively extended over time, could be associated with a significant increase in the number of blind people worldwide. Indeed, cataract causes more than half of all cases of visual impairment in those countries with limited availability of means for performing eye operations (e.g., Africa or India). In this scenario, the pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) quickly resulted in the suspension or sharp reduction of various ophthalmic activities considered non-urgent, including lens replacement surgery or some intraocular injections. Despite the imperative need to continuously practice eye operations to avoid the abovementioned problems, there are currently little-shared and vague recommendations among the various countries on safety in operating rooms (for health care workers and patients) and poor legal protection for surgeons (potentially transmitting the COVID-19 infectious agent). Herein, we individuated and discussed some critical points in safety recommendations and medical liability. A paradigm shift for ocular surgery during the COVID-19 era is now mandatory. While telemedicine has been able to solve some problems in clinical ophthalmology, the lack of adequate health and legal protection for surgeons and patients may result in an excessive reduction in the volume of surgical interventions during a pandemic era and the immediately following period, thus determining inability to ensure health care to all patients.https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0383/9/5/1403COVID-19ocular surgeryeye surgerycoronavirusSARS-CoV-2recommendations
collection DOAJ
language English
format Article
sources DOAJ
author Pietro Emanuele Napoli
Matteo Nioi
Ernesto d’Aloja
Maurizio Fossarello
spellingShingle Pietro Emanuele Napoli
Matteo Nioi
Ernesto d’Aloja
Maurizio Fossarello
Safety Recommendations and Medical Liability in Ocular Surgery during the COVID-19 Pandemic: An Unsolved Dilemma
Journal of Clinical Medicine
COVID-19
ocular surgery
eye surgery
coronavirus
SARS-CoV-2
recommendations
author_facet Pietro Emanuele Napoli
Matteo Nioi
Ernesto d’Aloja
Maurizio Fossarello
author_sort Pietro Emanuele Napoli
title Safety Recommendations and Medical Liability in Ocular Surgery during the COVID-19 Pandemic: An Unsolved Dilemma
title_short Safety Recommendations and Medical Liability in Ocular Surgery during the COVID-19 Pandemic: An Unsolved Dilemma
title_full Safety Recommendations and Medical Liability in Ocular Surgery during the COVID-19 Pandemic: An Unsolved Dilemma
title_fullStr Safety Recommendations and Medical Liability in Ocular Surgery during the COVID-19 Pandemic: An Unsolved Dilemma
title_full_unstemmed Safety Recommendations and Medical Liability in Ocular Surgery during the COVID-19 Pandemic: An Unsolved Dilemma
title_sort safety recommendations and medical liability in ocular surgery during the covid-19 pandemic: an unsolved dilemma
publisher MDPI AG
series Journal of Clinical Medicine
issn 2077-0383
publishDate 2020-05-01
description Ocular surgery is one of the most performed medical procedures in the world. Its limitation or suspension, recursively extended over time, could be associated with a significant increase in the number of blind people worldwide. Indeed, cataract causes more than half of all cases of visual impairment in those countries with limited availability of means for performing eye operations (e.g., Africa or India). In this scenario, the pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) quickly resulted in the suspension or sharp reduction of various ophthalmic activities considered non-urgent, including lens replacement surgery or some intraocular injections. Despite the imperative need to continuously practice eye operations to avoid the abovementioned problems, there are currently little-shared and vague recommendations among the various countries on safety in operating rooms (for health care workers and patients) and poor legal protection for surgeons (potentially transmitting the COVID-19 infectious agent). Herein, we individuated and discussed some critical points in safety recommendations and medical liability. A paradigm shift for ocular surgery during the COVID-19 era is now mandatory. While telemedicine has been able to solve some problems in clinical ophthalmology, the lack of adequate health and legal protection for surgeons and patients may result in an excessive reduction in the volume of surgical interventions during a pandemic era and the immediately following period, thus determining inability to ensure health care to all patients.
topic COVID-19
ocular surgery
eye surgery
coronavirus
SARS-CoV-2
recommendations
url https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0383/9/5/1403
work_keys_str_mv AT pietroemanuelenapoli safetyrecommendationsandmedicalliabilityinocularsurgeryduringthecovid19pandemicanunsolveddilemma
AT matteonioi safetyrecommendationsandmedicalliabilityinocularsurgeryduringthecovid19pandemicanunsolveddilemma
AT ernestodaloja safetyrecommendationsandmedicalliabilityinocularsurgeryduringthecovid19pandemicanunsolveddilemma
AT mauriziofossarello safetyrecommendationsandmedicalliabilityinocularsurgeryduringthecovid19pandemicanunsolveddilemma
_version_ 1724718032293462016