The Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Inpatient Surgical Treatment in Patients with Benign Anorectal Diseases

Abstract

Background: The reconstruction of anorectal surgery in the context of COVID-19 pandemic is ongoing. Objective: This study aims to examine the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on inpatient surgical treatment in patients with benign anorectal diseases. Design: This was a retrospective, single-center, observational study. Settings: The study was conducted in a hospital affiliated to a provincial medical university in China. Patients: This study included patients admitted from December of the last three years to March of the following year (total 1353). Main outcome measures: The patients' gender, age, first diagnosis, main symptoms and their worse days, pre-admission treatment, date of admission and discharge, length of hospital days, straight-line distance between residence and the hospital, and comorbidities were recorded. Results: Lockdown led to a decline in admissions, a reduction of hospital days (p<0.001), and changes in the proportion of different diseases admissions (p=0.032). The distance between residence and the hospital was reduced. Each wave of the outbreak was associated with prolonged hospital days. The hospital stay was not significantly affected in patients with colorectal polyps (p=0.564), but their number of hospital admissions greatly reduced. Limitations: This study was limited by the limited number of patients during the lockdown period and the lack of data about outpatient and unadmitted patients. Conclusions: The reconstructive process in colorectal surgery remains fraught with difficulties. The determinant of patient admission is the urgency and severity of the symptoms. Pre-admission treatment was not significantly affected. Care should be given to possible adverse outcomes due to reduced admissions for colorectal polyps. Lockdown causes shorter hospital stays over a short time, but the outbreaks still causes longer hospital stays over the relatively long term. To accelerate reconstruction, outpatient treatment should return to normal as soon as possible.