Novel coronavirus severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS CoV-2), or coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), has been declared a worldwide pandemic by the World Health Organization. At the time of writing this document, more than 1,200,000 cases have been reported worldwide and more than 320,000 in the United States alone. There is substantial regional variation within the United States, particularly extreme in the populous northeast.

Dependence on hospital infrastructure to manage the outbreak is variable and difficult to predict. Mandatory quarantines are present in many states, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has stated that certain individuals are at higher risk in the setting of the pandemic and should avoid close contact with others. This specifically includes patients aged older than 65 years and those with lung or heart conditions, diabetes, and obesity. This obviously represents most of the population that requires cardiac surgery.

The intent of this document is to provide guidance to the adult cardiac surgery perioperative community regarding management of patients considered or scheduled for surgical procedures in the context of the current pandemic. Specifically, contained within is a proposed template for physicians and interdisciplinary teams to consider and adapt to the unique aspects of each patient in the specific context of the prevalence of COVID-19 at the medical center where they are being treated.