The Role of Surgery in Patients With Coronavirus Disease - 19 (COVID-19) Related Thoracic Complications

Thoracic complications directly or indirectly consequence of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) (including either pathologies strictly related to the infection, or iatrogenic effects of therapeutic attempts to treat it) have been described during the pandemic. Many of the above conditions often require a surgical approach but, based on published data reporting high early postoperative morbidity and mortality, many experts initially advised against any referral to surgery in COVID-19 patients. Therefore, the issue is if salvage surgical approach should be always excluded or could be considered when it represents the only remaining effective option. In the absence of solid data and recommendations, this is a demanding challenge for thoracic surgeons. The investigators have coordinated a multicenter study to collect the experience of several worldwide high-volume thoracic surgery departments. Their objective is to investigate efficacy and safety of surgery in COVID-19 patients who developed thoracic complications that required operative management.