Rate of Retained Surgical Foreign Bodies in Texas Medicare Beneficiaries: Post-Pandemic Analysis

This study aimed to identify the difference between the rates of retained surgical foreign bodies (RSBs) in Texas Medicare beneficiaries before and after the COVID-19 pandemic, 2017-2019 and 2020-2022, respectively, by county and by the Human Health Service Commission (HHSC) region.

Retained surgical foreign bodies (RSBs) are items left in patients' bodies after surgical interventions (e.g., sponges, surgical instruments, etc.). Studies have shown an association between an increased risk of RSBs and unexpected intraoperative events, procedure duration, incorrect surgical counts, and variations in personnel on surgical teams. However, the existing literature has not focused on the impact of SARS-CoV-2 or the COVID-19 pandemic on RSB rates.

Data from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Datasets from 2020-2023 were used, along with Texas Hospital Data from the Texas Department of State and Health Services, to categorize the mean rates of RSBs before and after the COVID-19 pandemic by Texas HHSC regions and counties.

No significant differences were found between the pandemic-era and HHSC regions. However, the differences between Texas counties before and after the COVID-19 pandemic were statistically significant for both Colorado and Victoria. All other Texas counties showed no significant changes before and after the COVID-19 pandemic.

Given the importance of reducing RSBs, follow-up studies that review specific surgical policies before and after the COVID-19 pandemic should be conducted.