. 2021 Apr 18;74(11):3073–3079. doi: 10.1016/j.bjps.2021.03.109

Table 1.

National body COVID-19 guidance in plastic surgery. Published national guidelines for surgical management during COVID-19.

Sub-speciality	National body	Advice
Hand trauma⁷	BOA, OTS, BSSH, BAPRAS, BAHT, BSCOS	Non-operative management wherever possible, local anaesthetic surgery and use of outpatient or procedure room facilities
Skin cancer8, 9, 10	BAPRAS, BAD	-Defer excision of low-risk lesions (basal cell carcinoma (BCC), melanoma in-situ and some squamous cell carcinoma (SCC)) -Standard excision of high risk SCC and melanoma -Individual decisions on sentinel lymph node biopsy acknowledging capacity for this may reduce
Head and neck cancer¹¹	BAHNO	-Day case surgery where feasible -Reduce procedures requiring HDU/ITU -Reduce length of surgery (local flaps versus free flaps)
Lower limb (BOAST)⁷	BOA, OTS, BSSH, BAPRAS, BAHT, BSCOS	-Consider alternative reconstruction to avoid multiple operations and critical care input -Consider early amputation if limb salvage uncertain
Breast¹²	ABS	-No immediate breast reconstruction. Consider local flaps/oncoplastic techniques.

BOA – British Orthopaedic Association; OTS – Orthopaedic Trauma Society; BSSH – The British Society for Surgery of the Hand; British Association of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons; BAHT – The British Association of Hand Therapists; BSCOS – British Society for Children's Orthopaedic Surgery; BAD – British Association of Dermatologists; BAHNO – British Association of Head and Neck Oncologists; ABS – Association of Breast Surgery.