Impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on surgical specialties at a university hospital in Bahia: a retrospective cross-sectional study

Abstract

Introduction: Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, medical specialties have adapted their routine, postponing non-essential procedures, which resulted in a reduction in the number of surgical visits, directly impacting teaching hospitals. This work aims to evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the activities of the surgical specialties at the University Hospital Professor Edgard Santos (C-HUPES), located in Salvador-BA. Method: Observational, cross-sectional, retrospective study, which compares the year 2020 to the year 2019, in which the impacts of the pandemic on the surgical activities (especially plastic surgery) of the hospital are analyzed through the total number of procedures, hospitalizations, and outpatient consultations of surgical specialties. Results: A reduction of 45,45% of the total number of surgical procedures was observed, with 220 surgeries in 2019 and 120 surgeries in 2020. Reduction of 37.29% in hospitalizations, totaling 236 in 2019 and 148 in 2020. There was a decrease of 40.90% in outpatient consultations, with 2941 consultations performed in 2019 and 1738 consultations in 2020. It is noticed that the worst periods of reduction in 2020 were from March to June, in addition to a new drop in November and December. Conclusion: The pandemic impacted the activities of the surgical specialties at C-HUPES due to the total reduction in the number of surgeries, consultations, and hospitalizations in 2020, impairing the care of plastic surgery patients in absolute numbers. It is inferred that the COVID-19 pandemic hampered the training of plastic surgery residents.

Keywords

• covid-19
• surgery, plastic
• reconstructive surgical procedures
• health evaluation
• hospitals, university
• pandemics