Influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on the congenital heart surgery service in Lithuania

Abstract

Introduction: CHD is a unique group of medical pathologies. Literature worldwide reports significant decrements in the case volume of patients with these conditions due to the recent global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019. The only centre providing congenital cardiac care for Lithuanian population is in a hospital which was the main medical institution for the sickest coronavirus disease 2019 patients. Hence, this centre had to maintain its service alongside the mobilisation of resources to tackle the crisis. Aim of Study: To evaluate the effect of the pandemic on the service of congenital heart surgery in Lithuania. Methods: The activity of a single centre providing congenital heart care working in a main coronavirus 2019 pandemic hospital during the pandemic was analysed and compared to a matched period of pre-pandemic activity. Results: The number of admitted patients was similar during both pre-pandemic and pandemic periods. During the pandemic period, younger patients were more often operated as urgent cases. Their postoperative length of stay was longer. However, there were no differences in early postoperative mortality between the two groups. Conclusions: It was possible to maintain an accessible and high-quality specialised congenital cardiac care for various age patients during global pandemic events, while working in the main pandemic hospital.