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Multicenter Study
. 2022 Feb;29(2):274-283.e1.
doi: 10.1016/j.jmig.2021.08.011. Epub 2021 Aug 23.

Surgical Outcomes in Benign Gynecologic Surgery Patients during the COVID-19 Pandemic (SOCOVID study)

Rosanne M Kho  1 , Olivia H Chang  2 , Adam Hare  3 , Joseph Schaffer  3 , Jen Hamner  4 , Gina M Northington  5 , Nina Durchfort Metcalfe  5 , Cheryl B Iglesia  6 , Anna S Zelivianskaia  6 , Hye-Chun Hur  7 , Sierra Seaman  7 , Margaret G Mueller  8 , Magdy Milad  8 , Charles Ascher-Walsh  9 , Kelsey Kossl  9 , Charles Rardin  10 , Moiuri Siddique  10 , Miles Murphy  11 , Michael Heit  4
Affiliations
Multicenter Study

Surgical Outcomes in Benign Gynecologic Surgery Patients during the COVID-19 Pandemic (SOCOVID study)

Rosanne M Kho et al. J Minim Invasive Gynecol. 2022 Feb.

Abstract

Study objective: To determine the incidence of perioperative coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in women undergoing benign gynecologic surgery and to evaluate perioperative complication rates in patients with active, previous, or no previous severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection.

Design: A multicenter prospective cohort study.

Setting: Ten institutions in the United States.

Patients: Patients aged >18 years who underwent benign gynecologic surgery from July 1, 2020, to December 31, 2020, were included. All patients were followed up from the time of surgery to 10 weeks postoperatively. Those with intrauterine pregnancy or known gynecologic malignancy were excluded.

Interventions: Benign gynecologic surgery.

Measurements and main results: The primary outcome was the incidence of perioperative COVID-19 infections, which was stratified as (1) previous COVID-19 infection, (2) preoperative COVID-19 infection, and (3) postoperative COVID-19 infection. Secondary outcomes included adverse events and mortality after surgery and predictors for postoperative COVID-19 infection. If surgery was delayed because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the reason for postponement and any subsequent adverse event was recorded. Of 3423 patients included for final analysis, 189 (5.5%) postponed their gynecologic surgery during the pandemic. Forty-three patients (1.3% of total cases) had a history of COVID-19. The majority (182, 96.3%) had no sequelae attributed to surgical postponement. After hospital discharge to 10 weeks postoperatively, 39 patients (1.1%) became infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. The mean duration of time between hospital discharge and the follow-up positive COVID-19 test was 22.1 ± 12.3 days (range, 4-50 days). Eleven (31.4% of postoperative COVID-19 infections, 0.3% of total cases) of the newly diagnosed COVID-19 infections occurred within 14 days of hospital discharge. On multivariable logistic regression, living in the Southwest (adjusted odds ratio, 6.8) and single-unit increase in age-adjusted Charlson comorbidity index (adjusted odds ratio, 1.2) increased the odds of postoperative COVID-19 infection. Perioperative complications were not significantly higher in patients with a history of positive COVID-19 than those without a history of COVID-19, although the mean duration of time between previous COVID-19 diagnosis and surgery was 97 days (14 weeks).

Conclusion: In this large multicenter prospective cohort study of benign gynecologic surgeries, only 1.1% of patients developed a postoperative COVID-19 infection, with 0.3% of infection in the immediate 14 days after surgery. The incidence of postoperative complications was not different in those with and without previous COVID-19 infections.

Keywords: Adverse events; COVID-19; Gynecologic surgery; Nosocomial infections; SARS-CoV-2; Surgical outcomes.

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Figures

Fig 1
Fig. 1
Frequency distribution of US COVID-19 infections by month (top of figure) and frequency distribution of surgical cases by month during the study period (bottom of figure). COVID-19 = coronavirus disease.
Fig 2
Fig. 2
The frequency distribution of time between hospital discharge and newly diagnosed postoperative COVID-19 infection. COVID-19 = coronavirus disease.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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