Arthroplasty During COVID-19: Surveillance of AAHKS Members In the First Year of the Pandemic

Abstract Introduction The COVID-19 pandemic has had a severe impact on the practices of adult reconstruction surgeons, primarily due to the elective nature of hip and knee arthroplasty. Methods To capture the impact of COVID-19 on its members, the American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons (AAHKS) sent 6 surveys over a span of seven months from late March until September of 2020 querying its members regarding the effects of COVID on the health and wellbeing of their personal, financial and clinical practice. Results 92% of surgeons reported a cessation of elective inpatient cases during the height of the crisis. The reduction was greatest for surgeries performed in hospital-based sites of care. 91% reported a drop in clinic volume. At the final surveys, these numbers where 7% and 59%, respectively. In addition, there was a widespread increase in the use of telemedicine during this period. Only a small number of orthopaedic practices permanently closed due to COVID-19; 68% of surgeons, however, sought federal funding to offset their loss of revenue due to the restrictions placed on elective surgeries. Lastly, once elective surgeries were re-instated, the majority of surgeons reported no restrictions with surgical cases and that they believed they were adapting to the challenges of COVID successfully. Discussion The impact of COVID-19 in 2020 on the practice of arthroplasty resulted in nearly universal loss of volume and significant financial stress. Recovery has been consistent, but incomplete for most practices. Continued monitoring of the members of AAHKS will be needed in 2021 to measure the strength of the demonstrated adaptive recovery of 2020.