Elective Orthopaedic Surgery During COVID-19: A Safe Way to Get Back on Track

The novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has greatly changed our way of living and working. We have developed a method to treat urgent patients in a safe way, and we applied the same protocol to resume elective surgical procedures. Methods We reorganized the system and the management of our orthopaedic department to perform elective surgical procedures in a safe way. During the COVID-19 lockdown, 614 patients underwent elective orthopaedic procedures. Results No major postoperative complications were recorded. None of the orthopaedic surgeons, health-care personnel, or hospitalized patients was infected in this period of activity. Conclusions During COVID-19, it is possible to perform elective surgical procedures in a safe way.