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The COVID-19 outbreak triggered a global crisis with long-term effects on people's daily lives. It has altered surgical practice and education and imposed major changes in healthcare systems and resources. In order to analyze the impact the COVID-19 pandemic has had on Romanian Plastic Surgery residents, we carried out an anonymous questionnaire through Google forms. Survey items addressed aspects such as how the pandemic has affected their surgical practice, their exposure to the virus, and the protective measures that have been implemented to minimize risk. Among other results, our study found that nearly 1 in 5 respondents had contact with a coronavirus patient, that most of the patients were tested at admission, mostly using RT-PCR, and that various combinations of personal protective equipment had been used. Most participants also felt that their surgical training has been negatively affected, despite attendance at online courses and webinars. Although the pandemic has brought significant changes to the daily lives of residents and to the residency training, the Plastic Surgery community has been brought closer than ever and reminded that, through unified efforts, such obstacles can be overcome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite concerns regarding oncologic safety, laparoscopic surgery for colon cancer has been proven in several trials in the lasts decades to be superior to open surgery. In addition, the benefits of laparoscopic surgery can be offered to other patients with malignant disease. The aim of the present study was to compare the quality of oncologic resection for non-metastatic, resectable colon cancer between laparoscopic and open surgery in terms of specimen margins and retrieved lymph nodes in a medium volume center in Romania. A total of 219 patients underwent surgery for non-metastatic colon cancer between January 2017 and December 2020. Of these, 52 underwent laparoscopic resection, while 167 had open surgery. None of the patients in the laparoscopic group had positive circumferential margins (P=0.035) while 12 (7.19%) patients in the open group (OG) had positive margins. A total of three patients in the laparoscopic group (5.77%) and seven patients (4.19%) in the OG had invaded axial margins. While the number of retrieved lymph nodes was not correlated with the type of procedure [laparoscopic group 16.12 (14±6.56), OG 17.31 (15±8.42), P=0.448], the lymph node ratio was significantly higher in the OG (P=0.003). Given the results of the present study, it is safe to conclude that laparoscopic surgery is not inferior to open surgery for non-metastatic colon cancer in a medium volume center. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]