Rhinoplasty in the COVID-19 Era: Practice and Safety Considerations

Overview

The COVID-19 pandemic required changes in health care practice to reduce disease transmission during medical care. The authors state transmission risk is high in procedures involving the tissues of the nose and throat, which includes rhinoplasty. The article describes simple preventative strategies used at a single institution to minimize that risk.

Sections of note

• Descriptive article; the abstract reports no patient numbers, no infection rates and no follow up.
• Transmission risk is stated to be high in procedures involving nasopharyngeal and oropharyngeal tissues.
• The described strategies are drawn from a single institution.
• The strategies are characterized as simple preventative measures.
• Povidone iodine is specifically discussed for its use around the time of surgery.
• No comparison group or measured effect on transmission is reported.

What it means for a patient

• Nasal surgery involves the tissues where respiratory viruses concentrate, which is why it drew specific precautions.
• Povidone iodine is an antiseptic solution applied to reduce viral load in the nose and throat.
• No evidence is presented that these measures reduced transmission.
• The article records one institution's practice during a specific period.

Why this paper matters

Elective nasal surgery was suspended in many places during the pandemic partly because of transmission risk during nasal procedures. This article documents how one institution resumed it. Whether the described precautions worked was not measured.

Terms

• Povidone iodine: an antiseptic solution used to reduce microorganisms on tissue.
• Nasopharyngeal tissue: the tissue at the back of the nose where it meets the throat.
• Oropharyngeal tissue: the tissue at the back of the mouth and throat.
• Perioperative period: the time around surgery, before, during and after.
• Prophylaxis: a measure taken to prevent infection rather than treat it.