The effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the outcomes of surgically treated colorectal diseases: a retrospective cohort study

Abstract

Purpose The objective of this study is to evaluate the effect of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on elective and emergent colorectal surgical practice. Methods The population of this retrospective observational study consisted of all consecutive patients who underwent emergent or elective colorectal surgery between March 2019 and March 2021. The patients were divided into 2 groups: the prepandemic group who were treated between March 2019 and March 10, 2020, and the pandemic group who were treated between March 11, 2020 and March 2021. The rate of emergent operations was the primary outcome. The groups were compared based on the frequency of operations, distribution of tumoral features in malignant cases, and 90th-day mortality rates. Results There were 180 and 121 patients in the prepandemic and pandemic groups, respectively. There were significantly more patients of the American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status stage IV with comorbidity in the pandemic group than in the prepandemic group (P = 0.016 and P < 0.001, respectively). The rate of emergent operations was significantly higher in the pandemic group than in the prepandemic group (49.6% vs. 26.7%, P < 0.001). There were significantly more patients who received non-resectional surgery in the pandemic group than in the prepandemic group (P = 0.002). Additionally, there were significantly more patients without resection among patients with a defunctioning stoma (P = 0.001). The length of hospital stay (LoS) was significantly shorter in the pandemic group than in the prepandemic group (P = 0.039). On the other hand, the mortality rate was significantly higher in the pandemic group than in the prepandemic group (15.7% vs. 6.1%, P = 0.011). Conclusion The study findings suggested that the COVID-19 pandemic adversely affected colorectal surgical practices, resulting in more frequent emergent operations, non-resectional procedures with stoma formation, and higher mortality rates.

Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on older cancer patients: Proposed solution by the International Geriatric Radiotherapy Group

“…Other studies also corroborate the reduction in cancer surgery during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the pandemic was also associated with a significant delay in surgical treatment leading to a more advanced stage at diagnosis compared with pre-pandemic years ( 51 – 53 ). As a result, emergency surgery and non-curative resection were performed more frequently during the pandemic ( 54 ). For various reasons ranging from COVID-19 fear to delayed elective surgery, cancer surgery for all anatomic sites was significantly reduced ( 47 , 50 – 56 ).…”