Impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic on an academic vascular practice and a multidisciplinary limb preservation program

Abstract

With the aggressive resource conservation necessary to face the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, vascular surgeons have faced unique challenges in managing the health of their high-risk patients. An early analysis of patient outcomes after pandemic-related practice changes suggested that patients with chronic limb threatening ischemia have been presenting with more severe foot infections and are more likely to require major limb amputation compared with 6 months previously. As our society and health care system adapt to the new changes required in the post–coronavirus disease 2019 era, it is critical that we pay special attention to the most vulnerable subsets of patients with vascular disease, particularly those with chronic limb threatening ischemia and limited access to care.