The impact of COVID-19 on the provision of cardiac surgical services

The global pandemic caused by COVID-19 has had a significant global impact on healthcare systems. One implication of this pandemic is the cancellation of elective cardiac surgeries and the centralization of services. As a result, hospitals in Europe, North America, and the United Kingdom have had to alter the services offered to patients to be able to cope with service provision for COVID infected patients. Data should be collected during this period to provide a good insight following the lockdown period to understand the implication of such service alteration. Future research should also focus on the effects on long-term mortality and morbidity as well as financial implications on hospitals as a result of these changes.