Breast reconstruction surgery during the Covid-19 pandemic and beyond

Patients with cancer who were eligible for breast reconstruction after a mastectomy were allocated to a low-risk surgical pathway during the Covid-19 pandemic to enable surgery to be restarted. Clinical nurse specialists introduced enhanced recovery after surgery protocols to standardise care and reduce length of stay, as well as educating and supporting nursing staff in caring for these patients. This enabled a complex reconstructive service to continue safely and effectively without any increase in post-operative complications or negative outcomes. It has led to new ways of working that are improving patient care now Covid-19 restrictions have been relaxed.

This article has been double-blind peer reviewed

In this article…

• Specialist nurses’ role in restarting breast reconstruction surgery during the Covid-19 pandemic

• Use of enhanced recovery after surgery protocols to standardise care and reduce length of stay

• Evaluating the success of changes introduced during the Covid-19 pandemic

Key points

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Breast cancer patients should be offered immediate breast reconstruction after a mastectomy where eligible

Clinical nurse specialists ensured safe and effective post-operative care when breast reconstruction surgery resumed during the Covid-19 pandemic

Enhanced recovery after surgery protocols were used to standardise care and reduce length of stay

Education, advice and ongoing support by the clinical nurse specialists helped address the skills gap during the pandemic

Measures to reduce length of stay during the pandemic have been shown to be safe and effective for breast reconstruction patients