Vitreoretinal practice during the COVID-19 era in a tertiary care hospital in Central India

Abstract

Aim: The aim was to study the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on vitreoretinal practice in a tertiary care government hospital in Central India. Setting: This study was conducted at a tertiary care hospital in Central India. Design: This was a retrospective, cross-sectional, observational, comparative study. Patients and Methods: Records of all patients coming to the outpatient department of ophthalmology for vitreoretinal consultation from March 24 to September 30 in 2 consecutive years 2019 and 2020 were retrieved. Demographic profile and details of the diagnosis and treatment offered were noted and entered into the Excel sheet. Data were subjected to statistical analysis. Results: The number of patients presenting to the retina department from March 24 to September 30 came down from 1748 in 2019 to 836 in 2020, representing a 47.8% drop. Similarly, the number of major procedures was reduced from 178 in 2019 to 50 in 2020. Minor procedures such as intravitreal injections showed a reduction from 103 in 2019 to 38 in 2020 (37.2%). Conclusion: COVID-19 adversely impacted vitreoretinal practice in a tertiary care government hospital in Central India. This led to a severe loss of vision in several patients, affecting their quality of life.

Keywords

• covid-19 disease
• macular diseases
• vitreoretinal diseases