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Maxillofacial surgical oncology during Covid-19 phase-1 and phase-2 of italian lockdown. Single centre experience.

AIM
The aim of this retrospective study is to analyse the impact of Covid-19 on oncological surgical activity of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Unit of Magna Graecia University of Catanzaro, Italia.


MATERIALS OF THE STUDY
This single-centre study includes patients treated for head and neck cancer (HNC) during lockdown months of March, April, May 2020 (Phase-1) and October, November and December 2020 (Phase-2); the data were compared with the same months for the previous two-year period (2018-2019).


RESULTS
35 oncological surgeries were performed at our Maxillofacial Surgery Unit in 2020. Applying both analysis of t-Student and ANOVA emerged an increase in activity for 2020.


DISCUSSION
The epidemic of the 2019 novel coronavirus infection, declared a global pandemic by WHO on March 2020, has interfered with ordinary medical practice, in particular, with head and neck surgical oncology. Data for all three years (2018-19-20) were normalized for the number of beds available (in 2020, half compared to 2018-19) and were compared.


CONCLUSIONS
The study demonstrates how it is possible, following strict guidelines and standard surgical protocols, to address the growing demand for surgery on cancer patients and to contain the spread of Covid-19 infection.


KEY WORDS
Head and neck cancer, Oral oncology, Covid-19 infection, Maxillofacial surgery, Prevention and control, Telemedicine.