Authors: Ajith K, Dantanarayana, Irosha R. Perera.
Background: Oral cancer dominates as the number one cancer among males and number eight cancer among females in Sri Lanka. Its high incidence and prevalence requires efficient and effective cancer treatment care services. National Dental Hospital (Teaching) Sri Lanka as the premier multispecialty tertiary care public dental hospital in the country comprising four Oral & Maxillofacial Units is in the forefront of providing surgical oncological patient care services. In this backdrop, this study aims to explore the profile of surgical oral cancer patient care services provided by National Dental Hospital (Teaching) Sri Lanka amidst COVID-19 pandemic.
Methods: Selected core data were extracted from patients’ records and databases of four OMF Units of National Dental Hospital (Teaching) Sri Lanka for the period from 1st January to 31st December 2020. This period overlapped four crucial periods: pre-COVID-19 period (January/February), stringently imposed lock down of 1st wave of COVID-19 (March-May), Transition period (June- September) and second wave of COVID-19 pandemic (OctoberDecember, 2020). The data entry and analysis was performed using SPSS-21 Statistical Software Package.
Results: A total of 132 oral cancer patients underwent surgeries demonstrating a wide age distribution ranging from 31-95 years with the mean ± SD (58.97 ± 12.73). However, the majority (56.8%) belonged to 50-69 year-age group. The overwhelming majority (75%) were males. Despite, stringently imposed island-wide lock down that followed detection of the first local case of COVID-19 in Sri Lanka on 11th March 2020, the highest number of surgeries were performed in March (n=18) whilst the lowest number was performed in May (n=4). An array of surgeries was performed ranging from wide lesion excision, mandibulectomy, glossectomy and including reconstruction with flaps for lost soft tissues as well as reconstruction.
Conclusions: The National Dental Hospital (Teaching) Sri Lanka provided uninterrupted surgical oncological patient care services for oral cancer patients amidst COVID-19 pandemic during the year 2020.
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