Volume and Practice‐Setting Shift of Laryngology Procedures During the COVID‐19 Pandemic: A Reg‐ENT Database Analysis

Abstract

Abstract Objective The onset of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) pandemic changed practice patterns throughout medicine. The purpose of this study is to evaluate changes in the volume and location setting of laryngology procedures after the onset of COVID‐19. Study Design Retrospective database cohort study. Setting Reg‐ENT registry. Methods Retrospective review from 2017 to 2022 of patients who underwent a laryngology procedure identified by procedure code categorized by site of service code—“ambulatory surgical” versus “office” setting. Based on March 2020 as the cutoff point, the procedures were designated as pre‐COVID versus COVID time period. Results A total of 5989 patients underwent laryngology procedures. Forty‐two percent more procedures were performed in the COVID period (n = 3780) versus pre‐COVID (n = 2209). Pre‐COVID, the procedure distribution between office and ambulatory surgical setting was 70% (n = 1546) compared with 30% (663). This shifted to 77% (n = 2920) and 23% (n = 860) during COVID, P = .9. The most common diagnoses associated with laryngology procedures during the study period were vocal fold paralysis 47% (n = 2831), dysphonia 33% (n = 1392), and laryngotracheal stenosis 14% (n = 838). These trends remained in both pre‐COVID and COVID time periods. After the start of the pandemic, among patients undergoing laryngology procedures, there was a 93% increase (n = 284‐549) in the diagnosis of laryngotracheal stenosis, 70% increase (n = 520‐882 patients) in dysphonia and 69% increase (n = 1054‐1777) in vocal fold paralysis. Conclusion An increase in laryngology procedures performed after the onset of the COVID‐19 pandemic was identified with an overall procedural shift to the office‐setting.

Keywords

• COVID‐19
• laryngology
• office‐based procedures