Evolution of surgical services at the Maciel Hospital during the SARS-CoV-2 health emergency

Abstract

Introduction: the COVID19 pandemic has caused a strong impact on surgical practices around the world, and after 15 months of differing surgeries and selecting patients, the actual magnitude of the problem has not been defined yet.
Objective: to learn about the evolution of elective surgeries and behaviour profiles at the Maciel Hospital during the COVID19 pandemic.
Method: the study analyses the delivery of elective surgeries at Maciel Hospital during the pre-pandemic (2019) and pandemic (2020/2021) periods by studying timing and area of specialization of the surgery performed and demand ICU beds.
Results: during the pandemic period (13.3.2020- 30.6.2021) 5302 patients were operated; and only 132 of them (2.5%) were COVID 19 positive. Global surgical services dropped 22.2% and 37.4% in elective surgeries. The number of emergency surgeries remained the same when compared to the pre-pandemic period. A huge growth was seen in traumatology (214%) and otorhinolaryngology (57.4%) services, a slight increase in thoracic consultations (12.7%) and no change was observed in vascular surgery consultations (0.3%). Consultations in other areas of specialization, such as urology, neurosurgery and general surgery significantly dropped, between 7.8% and 65.5%.
Conclusions: health services were delivered to oncologic patients given their urgency, which, modfied the surgical profile, increasing activity in specializations and at the expense of general surgeries and the specialization areas the mainly operate bening conditions that may be delayed that are highly prevalent.