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. 2022 Mar;70(3):265-272.
doi: 10.1007/s11748-021-01724-z. Epub 2021 Oct 29.

Impact of the first surge of the coronavirus disease pandemic on general thoracic surgery practices in Kanagawa: a questionnaire survey by the Kanagawa General Thoracic Surgical Study Group

Shugo Uematsu  1 , Hisashi Saji  2 , Akihiko Kitami  3 , Hiroyuki Ito  4 , Michihiko Tajiri  5 , Kazu Shiomi  6 , Noriyuki Matsutani  7 , Junichi Okamoto  8 , Takao Morohoshi  9 , Takamitsu Maehara  10
Affiliations

Impact of the first surge of the coronavirus disease pandemic on general thoracic surgery practices in Kanagawa: a questionnaire survey by the Kanagawa General Thoracic Surgical Study Group

Shugo Uematsu et al. Gen Thorac Cardiovasc Surg. 2022 Mar.

Abstract

Objectives: The first surge in severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection had a significant impact on health care institutions. Understanding how the pandemic affected general thoracic surgery would provide valuable data for establishing a health care protocol for upcoming surges.

Methods: A questionnaire survey on coronavirus disease-related patient statistics and health care was conducted between February 2020 and June 2020 across 14 facilities affiliated with the Kanagawa General Thoracic Surgery Study Group.

Results: The average number of newly referred patients from February to June 2020 was 65% of that during the same period in 2019. Six facilities placed restrictions on medical care services, among which four restricted surgeries. At all institutions and those placed on surgical restriction, the total number of surgeries under general anesthesia was 92% and 78%, the total number of primary lung cancers was 94% and 86%, and the total number of surgeries for pneumothorax was 71% and 77% of that in the preceding year, respectively. Infection control and insufficient resources of the medical material were the most influential factors impacting the medical institutions' decision to restrict the services provided.

Conclusions: Restrictions on surgery had a significant impact on the care provided by general thoracic surgery departments. To avoid patient inconvenience, establishing a collaborative system that refers patients to operational medical institutions in case of medical treatment restrictions may be useful.

Keywords: COVID-19; First surge; Medical treatment restrictions; Questionnaire survey; Thoracic surgery.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Percentage of referred patients from February 2020 to June 2020 compared to that in the corresponding months in 2019. SR, facilities with restrictions on surgery; NR, facilities without restrictions on medical services
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Percentage of all cases with surgery under general anesthesia, primary lung cancer, and pneumothorax referred from February 2020 to June 2020 compared to that in the corresponding months in 2019
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Relationship between the number of surgeries under general anesthesia and primary lung cancer and pneumothorax in 2020 and 2019 and the number of general beds or surgical restrictions at the facility
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
Percentage of surgeries from February 2020 to June 2020 compared to that in the corresponding months in 2019. SR, facilities with restrictions on surgery; OR, facilities with restrictions on procedures other than surgery; NR, facilities without restrictions on medical services
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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