Intraoperative aerosol viral transmission in minimally invasive surgery: a scoping review and impact on clinical guidelines and practice during the onset of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

There seems to be a dissonance between contemporary guidelines and ongoing surgical activity, possibly due to the perceived lack of evidence. Recommendations regarding changes in clinical practice should be based on the best available research evidence and experience. A scoping review of the evidence and an assessment of the benefits and harms together with a survey showed that laparoscopic procedures do not seem to increase the risk of viral transmission. Nevertheless, the few publications and low quality of existing evidence limits the validity of the review.