Retrospective registry-based nationwide analysis of the COVID-19 lockdown effect on the volume of general and visceral non-malignant surgical procedures
Introduction: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an acute virus infection, which was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization. The Swiss government decreed a public lockdown to reduce and restrict further infections. The aim of this investigation was to analyze the impact of the firs...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2024-06-01
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| Series: | Surgery in Practice and Science |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666262024000081 |
| _version_ | 1797253902239793152 |
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| author | René Fahrner Eliane Dohner Fiona Joséphine Kierdorf Claudio Canal Valentin Neuhaus |
| author_facet | René Fahrner Eliane Dohner Fiona Joséphine Kierdorf Claudio Canal Valentin Neuhaus |
| author_sort | René Fahrner |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Introduction: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an acute virus infection, which was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization. The Swiss government decreed a public lockdown to reduce and restrict further infections. The aim of this investigation was to analyze the impact of the first COVID-19 lockdown on the performance of general and visceral surgery procedures. Materials and Methods: A retrospective study was performed on the basis of the surgical registry of the working group for quality assurance in surgery (“Arbeitsgemeinschaft für Qualitätssicherung in der Chirurgie” or AQC). All patients with specific surgical diagnoses (complicated gastric or duodenal ulcer, acute appendicitis, hernia, diverticular disease, gallstone disease, pilonidal sinus, cutaneous and perianal abscess) were analyzed during 2019 and the corresponding lockdown period of March 14 through April 26, 2020. Data regarding patients’ characteristics, diagnoses, and treatments were analyzed. Results: In total, 3,330 patients were analyzed, with 2,203 patients treated in 2019 and 1,127 patients treated in 2020. There was a reduction in the number of all investigated diagnoses during the pandemic period, with statistically significant differences in acute appendicitis, hernia, diverticular disease, gallstone disease, pilonidal sinus (all p < 0.001), and cutaneous abscess (p = 0.01). The proportion of complicated appendicitis (p = 0.02), complicated hernia (p < 0.001), and complicated gallstone disease (choledocholithiasis p = 0.01; inflammation, p = 0.001) was significantly higher during the lockdown period. The surgical urgency rate in all patients was higher during the lockdown period compared to the control period (p < 0.001). Conclusions: The socioeconomic lockdown significantly impacted the number of general and visceral surgery procedures in Switzerland. The reasons for the reduction are multifactorial. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-24T21:41:26Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-5336eab286e24f8dbc4f573850baca6a |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2666-2620 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-24T21:41:26Z |
| publishDate | 2024-06-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Surgery in Practice and Science |
| spelling | doaj.art-5336eab286e24f8dbc4f573850baca6a2024-03-21T05:37:41ZengElsevierSurgery in Practice and Science2666-26202024-06-0117100241Retrospective registry-based nationwide analysis of the COVID-19 lockdown effect on the volume of general and visceral non-malignant surgical proceduresRené Fahrner0Eliane Dohner1Fiona Joséphine Kierdorf2Claudio Canal3Valentin Neuhaus4Department of Vascular Surgery, University Hospital Bern, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland; Corresponding author at: Department of Vascular Surgery, University Hospital Bern, University of Bern, 3010 Bern, SwitzerlandDepartment of Visceral Surgery and Medicine, University Hospital Bern, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland; Department of Surgery, Hospital Solothurn, Solothurn, SwitzerlandDepartment of Surgery, Hospital Solothurn, Solothurn, SwitzerlandDivision of Trauma Surgery, Department of Traumatology, University Hospital Zurich, University Zurich, SwitzerlandDivision of Trauma Surgery, Department of Traumatology, University Hospital Zurich, University Zurich, SwitzerlandIntroduction: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an acute virus infection, which was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization. The Swiss government decreed a public lockdown to reduce and restrict further infections. The aim of this investigation was to analyze the impact of the first COVID-19 lockdown on the performance of general and visceral surgery procedures. Materials and Methods: A retrospective study was performed on the basis of the surgical registry of the working group for quality assurance in surgery (“Arbeitsgemeinschaft für Qualitätssicherung in der Chirurgie” or AQC). All patients with specific surgical diagnoses (complicated gastric or duodenal ulcer, acute appendicitis, hernia, diverticular disease, gallstone disease, pilonidal sinus, cutaneous and perianal abscess) were analyzed during 2019 and the corresponding lockdown period of March 14 through April 26, 2020. Data regarding patients’ characteristics, diagnoses, and treatments were analyzed. Results: In total, 3,330 patients were analyzed, with 2,203 patients treated in 2019 and 1,127 patients treated in 2020. There was a reduction in the number of all investigated diagnoses during the pandemic period, with statistically significant differences in acute appendicitis, hernia, diverticular disease, gallstone disease, pilonidal sinus (all p < 0.001), and cutaneous abscess (p = 0.01). The proportion of complicated appendicitis (p = 0.02), complicated hernia (p < 0.001), and complicated gallstone disease (choledocholithiasis p = 0.01; inflammation, p = 0.001) was significantly higher during the lockdown period. The surgical urgency rate in all patients was higher during the lockdown period compared to the control period (p < 0.001). Conclusions: The socioeconomic lockdown significantly impacted the number of general and visceral surgery procedures in Switzerland. The reasons for the reduction are multifactorial.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666262024000081Covid-19Emergency surgeryGeneral surgeryVisceral surgerypandemic |
| spellingShingle | René Fahrner Eliane Dohner Fiona Joséphine Kierdorf Claudio Canal Valentin Neuhaus Retrospective registry-based nationwide analysis of the COVID-19 lockdown effect on the volume of general and visceral non-malignant surgical procedures Surgery in Practice and Science Covid-19 Emergency surgery General surgery Visceral surgery pandemic |
| title | Retrospective registry-based nationwide analysis of the COVID-19 lockdown effect on the volume of general and visceral non-malignant surgical procedures |
| title_full | Retrospective registry-based nationwide analysis of the COVID-19 lockdown effect on the volume of general and visceral non-malignant surgical procedures |
| title_fullStr | Retrospective registry-based nationwide analysis of the COVID-19 lockdown effect on the volume of general and visceral non-malignant surgical procedures |
| title_full_unstemmed | Retrospective registry-based nationwide analysis of the COVID-19 lockdown effect on the volume of general and visceral non-malignant surgical procedures |
| title_short | Retrospective registry-based nationwide analysis of the COVID-19 lockdown effect on the volume of general and visceral non-malignant surgical procedures |
| title_sort | retrospective registry based nationwide analysis of the covid 19 lockdown effect on the volume of general and visceral non malignant surgical procedures |
| topic | Covid-19 Emergency surgery General surgery Visceral surgery pandemic |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666262024000081 |
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