Pediatric urology surgical practice in the time of COVID-19

Abstract

Purpose: Our study aimed to evaluate the effect of COVID-19 on pediatric urology practice in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). Methods: Data of 10 tertiary hospitals in KSA were retrospectively analyzed. Data of outpatient department (OPD) visits and pediatric urology surgical procedures from January 1, 2019, to April 30, 2019, and from January 1, 2020, to April 30, 2020, were extracted. The primary outcome was to compare OPD visits and pediatric urology workload in the first third of 2020 versus 2019, where there was no curfew. The secondary outcome was to compare the same variables during the full curfew time, i.e., April 2020 versus April 2019. Results: The number of OPD visits was lower in the first third of 2020 (7390 vs. 10,379 in 2019 P < 0.001). OPD visits in April 2020 were 78.6% lower than in April 2019, and teleclinics represented 850 (94.3%). Elective procedures in the first third of 2020 were 688, with a reduction rate of 34.3% compared to the same period of 2019 ( P < 0.001). In April 2020, there were 18 elective surgeries, with a 91.4% decrease than in April 2019. Ureteric reimplantation, hypospadias, cryptorchidism, and circumcision stopped, while pyeloplasty ( n = 14) and urolithiasis ( n = 4) procedures had declined by 50% and 76.5%, respectively. Most of the procedures (71.8%) were day surgery. Emergency procedures were similar in the first third of 2020 (65 vs. 64 in 2019, P = 0.994) and declined in April 2020 by 6.7% versus April 2019. During the full curfew, the most common emergency intervention were cases with obstructive uropathy (42.8%), followed by torsion testis (28.6%), posterior urethral valve (14.3%), and urological trauma (14.3%). Conclusions: In KSA, the number of elective pediatric surgical procedures were reduced by >90%, while the number of emergency pediatric surgical procdures were similar during COVID-19 pandemic compared with non-COVID-19 time. Ureteric reimplantation, hypospadias repair, cryptorchidism, and circumcision procedures were postponed. Pyeloplasty and urolithiasis-related procedures were performed to prevent irreversible disease progression or organ damage. There was an increase in rate of teleclinic and day surgery to reduce the risk of COVID-19 infection.

Quality of Internet Videos Related to Pediatric Urology in Mainland China: A Cross-Sectional Study

“…Since the COVID-19 infection and global spread, social distancing and reduced travel have been strictly advised to control the disease spreading ( 8 ). Usage of medical resources has also been affected, primarily by increased critically ill patients and overcrowding of medical facilities ( 9 ). Reduced hospital visits and delays in hospitalization and operations for pediatric patients have been reported due to the parents' hesitancy for symptoms not related to COVID-19, which may lead to more complications and poor outcomes ( 10 – 12 ).…”

Effects of first year COVID-19 pandemic on urology practice in three major Arab Countries: Sub-Analysis of a survey by Arab association of urology research group

“…Egypt recorded the highest rates (65.1%), followed by the UAE (58.2%) and the KSA (45.2%) in terms of high-priority surgeries such as kidney stone obstruction and cancer operations, including TURBT and radical nephrectomy. In line with these findings, Raheem et al [ 23 ] indicated that urology elective treatments in the KSA declined by 34.3% in the first three months of 2020 compared to the same period in 2019, along with prioritizing emergency interventions to prevent permanent disease development or organ destruction, such as urolithiasis-related procedures.…”