The Global Impact of COVID-19 on Craniomaxillofacial Surgeons: A Follow-Up Survey After One Year

Study Design

Comparative cross-sectional.

Objective

To measure the impact that COrona VIrus Disease-19 (COVID-19) has had on craniomaxillofacial (CMF) surgeons after 1 year and compare it with 2020 data by (1) measuring access to adequate personal protective equipment (PPE), (2) performance of elective surgery, and (3) the vaccination status. This should be investigated because most CMF surgeons felt that hospitals did not provide them with adequate PPE.

Methods

The investigators surveyed the international AO CMF membership using a 30-item online questionnaire and compared it to a previous study. The primary predictor variable was year of survey administration. Primary outcome variables were availability of adequate personal protective equipment (adequate/inadequate), performance of elective surgery (yes/no), and vaccination status (fully vaccinated/partly vaccinated/not vaccinated). Descriptive and analytic statistics were computed. Binary logistic regression models were created to measure the association between year and PPE availability. Statistical significance level was set at P < .05.

Results

The sample was composed of 523 surgeons (2% response rate). Most surgeons reported access to adequate PPE (74.6%). The most adequate PPE was offered in Europe (87.8%) with the least offered in Africa (45.5%). Surgeons in 2021 were more likely to report adequate PPE compared to 2020 (OR 3.74, 95% CI [2.59-4.39]). Most of the respondents resumed elective surgery (79.5% vs 13.3% in 2020) and were fully vaccinated (59.1%).

Conclusions

Most CMF surgeons now have access to adequate PPE, resumed elective surgery, and are either fully or partly vaccinated. Future studies should investigate the long-term impact of the fast-evolving COVID-19 pandemic on CMF surgeons.

The Global Impact of COVID-19 on Craniomaxillofacial Surgeons

STUDY DESIGN

The COrona VIrus Disease-19 (COVID-19) pandemic has disrupted craniomaxillofacial (CMF) surgeons practice worldwide. We implemented a cross-sectional study and enrolled a sample of CMF surgeons who completed a survey.

OBJECTIVE

To measure the impact that COVID-19 has had on CMF surgeons by (1) identifying variations that may exist by geographic region and specialty and (2) measuring access to adequate personal protective equipment (PPE) and identify factors associated with limited access to adequate PPE.

METHODS

Primary outcome variable was availability of adequate PPE for health-care workers (HCWs) in the front line and surgeons. Descriptive and analytic statistics were computed. Level of statistical significance was set at P < .05. Binary logistic regression models were created to identify variables associated with PPE status (adequate or inadequate).

RESULTS

Most of the respondents felt that hospitals did not provide adequate PPE to the HCWs (57.3%) with significant regional differences (P = .04). Most adequate PPE was available to surgeons in North America with the least offered in Africa. Differences in PPE adequacy per region (P < .001) and per country (P < .001) were significant. In Africa and South America, regions reporting previous virus outbreaks, the differences in access to adequate PPE evaporated compared to Europe (P = .18 and P = .15, respectively).

CONCLUSION

The impact of COVID-19 among CMF surgeons is global and adversely affects both clinical practice and personal lives of CMF surgeons. Future surveys should capture what the mid- and long-term impact of the COVID-19 crisis will look like.