Pediatric surgical activity during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic: experience at a tertiary hospital

The primary objective was to describe the characteristics and demographics of the surgical procedures carried out at a tertiary hospital during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. The secondary objective was to study the impact of the pandemic on the acute appendicitis cases treated at our healthcare facility and to compare them with a pre- SARS-CoV-2 period.

A retrospective study of all patients undergoing surgery at the pediatric surgery department in the pandemic period, from the beginning of the state of emergency in Spain until the first restrictions were removed, was conducted.

A total of 61 patients underwent surgery in 58 days vs. 406 patients in the same 2019 period (p < 0.00001). 59.01% of surgeries were urgent. 5.1% of patients had a positive SARS-CoV-2 diagnostic test. 30 different procedures were carried out, with appendectomy being the most frequent one (n = 13, 19.6% of patients). 61.5% of appendicitis cases were complicated vs. 42.4% in the non-COVID period (p = 0.17). Surgical approach was open in 46.1% of patients vs. 6.1% in the non-COVID period (p = 0.004). No statistically significant differences were found in terms of complication rate or hospital stay.

During the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, a significant decrease in the number of daily procedures was noted, with more than half being urgent. Appendicular pathologies were in a more advanced stage than usual, with a clear trend towards open surgery vs. laparoscopy.