Did COVID-19 area change our urology practice: A retrospective analysis

This research aimed at evaluating the changing conditions and experiences of urological practice during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The data of all patients who were admitted to outpatient clinics at Hisar Intercontinental Hospital or the hospital's online patient portal system between March 11th and May 30th, 2020 were analyzed retrospectively. Of all patients, 545 in outpatient clinics and 25 in online portal system, (17%) were hospitalized for medical treatment, and 53 underwent surgery. There were 1032 patients admitted to Urology Clinics and 104 patients who underwent surgery in the same period of 2019. The pre-operative assessment of patients who were candidates of urological surgery included certain criteria for COVID-19.

Of patients included in this study, the median age was 41 years (18-90). The mean hospital stay was 1 day (1-12), and the mean duration of operation was 25 min (3-250). Thirty-seven patients (69.8%) underwent general anesthesia, while only 11(20.8%) underwent combined spinal epidural anesthesia. Four patients (7.5%) required local and only one patient (1.9%) underwent sedo-analgesia. Complications were encountered in six patients (11.4%), urosepsis in two, pneumonia in one, and urinary tract infection in three patients. Compared to last year's numbers, the number of patients admitted to the hospital's outpatient clinic and that of hospitalized patients decreased by 47.2% and 49.1%, respectively.

Emergent surgeries in urological practices can be performed safely under routine preoperative testing for COVID-19 and with the use of adequate protective equipment for both the surgical team and the patient.