The effect of disruption due to COVID-19 on operating room utilization: Experience from a secondary care hospital in...

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Management
• Surgical Operations
• Infectious Disease Control

Background:

• The COVID-19 pandemic caused widespread disruption to global healthcare delivery.
• Elective surgical services were particularly impacted, facing restrictions and closures before resuming under new protocols.

Purpose of the Study:

• To quantify the impact of COVID-19 restrictions on operating room (OR) utilization.
• To compare surgical volumes before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Main Methods:

• A retrospective descriptive study design was employed.
• Surgical volume indicators were calculated and compared between pre-COVID-19 (April-June 2019) and COVID-19 (April-June 2020) periods.
• Pre-operative RT-PCR testing was implemented for patients awaiting elective surgery.

Main Results:

• Overall surgical volume decreased by 53%, with a substantial 87% reduction in elective procedures and an 8% decrease in emergency procedures.
• Operating room utilization declined by 63%, with the most significant reductions observed in bariatric (100%), ophthalmology (99%), and ENT (92%) surgeries.
• Pre-operative RT-PCR screening identified a 2.2% positivity rate (6 out of 261 cases) among patients scheduled for elective surgery.

Conclusions:

• A significant reduction in OR utilization was observed in a secondary care public hospital during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Pre-operative COVID-19 assessment through RT-PCR was effective in identifying infected patients, thereby preventing potential intraoperative transmission.
• Implementing rigorous pre-operative screening protocols is crucial for the safe resumption of elective surgical services post-pandemic.