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Updated: Jul 3, 2025
A Protocol for Analyzing Hepatitis C Virus Replication
Published on: June 26, 2014
Hepatitis C virus infection in patients undergoing surgery in a single tertiary academic center
Jae Seung Lee1,2,3, Hye Won Lee1,2,3, Mi Na Kim1,2,3
1Department of Internal Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea.
Insights
Many surgical patients with Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection do not receive adequate care. Improved surgeon awareness and education are crucial for better HCV management in this population.
Area of Science:
- Hepatology
- Infectious Diseases
- Surgical Care
Background:
- Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection poses challenges in surgical patient management due to insufficient awareness.
- Proper screening, confirmation, and treatment protocols for HCV are often lacking in surgical settings.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the current status of HCV screening, confirmation, and treatment among patients undergoing surgery.
- To identify gaps in HCV care within the surgical patient population.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective study of 96,894 patients undergoing surgery at a tertiary academic center from 2019 to 2021.
- Analysis of anti-HCV antibody and HCV RNA testing, treatment referrals, and outcomes.
- Comparison of HCV management across different surgical departments.
Main Results:
- 86.6% of patients tested positive for anti-HCV antibodies, with a significant proportion having comorbidities like diabetes and hypertension.
- HCV RNA was confirmed in 20.5% of tested patients, with 95.5% referred for treatment.
- Successful direct-acting antiviral therapy was achieved in 69.0% of treated patients, though confirmation rates varied significantly by surgical department.
Conclusions:
- A notable percentage of anti-HCV positive surgical patients did not receive adequate post-operative management.
- Enhanced education and awareness regarding HCV infection among surgeons are necessary to improve patient care.
- Standardizing HCV screening and management protocols across all surgical departments is recommended.
Background And Aim:
Lack of awareness disturbs proper care for hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections in patients undergoing surgery. We investigated the status of HCV screening, confirmation, and treatment in patients who underwent surgery.
Methods:
Patients who underwent surgery at a tertiary academic center between 2019 and 2021 were eligible for this retrospective study.
Results:
Between 2019 and 2021, 96 894 patients (40 121 males; 41.4%) who underwent surgery under general anesthesia were recruited. The median age of the participants was 55.0 years. Of the 83 920 (86.6%) patients who tested positive for anti-HCV antibodies, 576 (0.7%) showed positive results, with a higher proportion of patients with diabetes mellitus (32.6% vs 18.5%), hypertension (50.5% vs 28.6%), liver cirrhosis (13.2% vs 1.7%), and unfavorable laboratory test results when compared with those with negative results (all P < 0.05). HCV RNA was tested in 215 patients (37.3%), with a positivity rate of 20.5% (n = 44). Of the 44 patients, 42 (95.5%) were referred for antiviral treatment, and 29 (69.0%) were successfully treated with direct-acting antiviral therapy. HCV RNA confirmation rates were higher in the Department of Hepatobiliary and Transplant Surgery (76.6%) than in the other surgical departments (25.0-33.5%) (P < 0.001).
Conclusions:
The proportion of patients who were positive for anti-HCV antibodies and failed to receive proper management after surgery was not negligible. Increased awareness of HCV infection among surgeons through appropriate education may be required.
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