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Effect of COVID-19 Pandemic on Orthopedic Surgery in Three Centers from Romania
Dinu Vermeşan1, Adrian Todor2, Diana Andrei3
1Department of Orthopedics and Trauma, Victor Babes University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Eftimie Murgu Square No 2, 300041 Timisoara, Romania.
Insights
The COVID-19 pandemic significantly disrupted orthopedic surgery in Romania, leading to a sharp decline in elective procedures like joint replacements. Activity gradually resumed for trauma cases but lagged for surgeries by June 2020.
Area of Science:
- Orthopedic Surgery
- Healthcare Management
- Public Health
Background:
- The COVID-19 pandemic created unprecedented strain on global healthcare systems.
- Resources were reallocated to manage the pandemic, impacting non-urgent medical services.
- Orthopedic surgery, including elective procedures, faced significant disruptions worldwide.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on orthopedic surgery in Romania.
- To compare orthopedic and trauma case admissions between 2019 and 2020.
- To assess the recovery of elective orthopedic procedures post-initial pandemic wave.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of orthopedic and trauma cases admitted to three Romanian clinics.
- Data collected for the first six months of 2019 and 2020.
- Comparison of patient numbers, procedure types, and admission rates.
Main Results:
- Total patient admissions decreased significantly in 2020 compared to 2019.
- Orthopedic activity dropped drastically in April 2020, with some centers halting all procedures.
- No arthroscopies or elective joint replacements were performed in April 2020; recovery was slow by June.
Conclusions:
- The COVID-19 pandemic severely impacted Romanian orthopedic surgery, particularly elective procedures.
- Trauma case admissions showed signs of recovery by June 2020.
- Elective orthopedic surgeries like arthroscopies and joint replacements experienced a prolonged recovery period.
Abstract:
The COVID-19 pandemic has put an enormous burden on healthcare systems. As a direct consequence, many elective procedures were cancelled and available resources were relocated to emergencies and COVID-19 patients. We aimed to analyze the impact on orthopedic surgery in Romania. We performed a retrospective analysis of orthopedics and trauma cases admitted over the first six months of 2019 and 2020 in three representative clinics. In total, there were 1900 patients: 1241 from Timisoara, 216 from Cluj-Napoca, and 443 from Bucharest. In April, activity for all cases in the regional trauma center dropped to 23.8% and stopped in the other two. No arthroscopies or elective joint replacements were performed in April. By June, hospital admissions resumed for trauma cases while arthroscopies and joint replacements still lagged behind.