Effect of COVID-19 pandemic on surgical treatment of inguinal hernia: A retrospective study

Abstract

Aim: In this study, we aimed to examine the effect of the COVID 19 pandemic on the number, complication rates and epidemic characteristics of patients operated with the diagnosis of inguinal hernia in our institute. Methods: We analyzed all patients who underwent inguinal hernia operation in Trakya University Faculty of Medicine, Dept of General Surgery, between March 11, 2019, and March 11, 2020, and compared them with the cases between March 11, 2020, and March 11, 2021, retrospectively. Percentages, mean, standard deviation, median and interquartile range were used as the descriptive statistics. Mann-Whitney U test was used for the variations which are contrary to the normal distribution range in the comparison of two groups. The relations between qualitative variations were studied by the Pearson Chi-Square test and Fisher's Exact test. Significant value was determined as 0.05 for all statistical analyses. Results: Between March 11, 2019, and 2020, 65 patients were operated on (Group 1), and 26 patients between March 11, 2020, and 2021 (Group 2). The percentage of female patients was significantly higher in Group 2 (4.6% in Group 1, 23.1% in Group 2, p=0.008) and there was a statistically significant increase in the rate of incarceration and strangulation in Group 2 (44.6% in Group 1, 84.6% in Group 2, p=0.001). Conclusions: During the COVID-19 pandemic the incarceration and strangulation rate was higher. The increase in complication rates can be attributed to the relative decrease in elective surgeries or the increase in the number of female patients admitted during the COVID period.

Keywords

• Inguinal Hernia
• covıd
• strangulation
• incarceration
• surgery

COVID-19 pandemisinin inguinal herni cerrahi tedavisi üzerindeki etkisi: Tek bir merkezde retrospektif bir çalışma

Öz

Amaç: Bu çalışmada, enstitümüzde kasık fıtığı tanısı ile ameliyat edilen hastaların sayısı, komplikasyon oranları ve epidemik özellikleri üzerine COVID 19 pandemisinin etkisini incelemeyi amaçladık. Yöntemler: 11 Mart 2019-11 Mart 2020 tarihleri arasında Trakya Üniversitesi, Tıp Fakültesi Genel Cerrahi Anabilim Dalın’nda kasık fıtığı ameliyatı olan tüm hastaları geriye dönük olarak inceleyerek 11 Mart 2020-11 Mart 2021 tarihleri arasındaki olgularla karşılaştırdık. Tanımlayıcı istatistiksel değerlendirme olarak ortanca, çeyrek değerler; yüzde ve frekans oranları verildi. İki grubun karşılaştırılmasında normal dağılım aralığına aykırı varyasyonlar için Mann-Whitney U testi kullanıldı. Niteliksel varyasyonlar arasındaki ilişkiler Pearson Ki-Kare testi ve Fisher'in kesin testi ile incelendi. Tüm istatistiksel analizler için anlamlı değer p≤0,05 olarak belirlendi. Bulgular: 11 Mart 2019 – 2020 tarihleri arasında 65 hasta (Grup 1), 11 Mart 2020 – 2021 (Grup 2) arasında 26 hasta ameliyat edildi. Kadın hasta oranı Grup 2'de anlamlı olarak daha yüksekti (Grup 1'de %4,6, Grup 2'de %23,1, p=0,008) ve Grup 2'de inkarserasyon ve strangülasyon oranında istatistiksel olarak anlamlı bir artış vardı (Grup 1'de %44,6, Grup 2'de %84,6, p=0,001). Sonuç: COVID-19 salgını sırasında inkarserasyon ve strangülasyon oranı daha yüksekti. Komplikasyon oranlarındaki artış, elektif ameliyatların göreceli olarak azalmasına veya covid döneminde başvuran kadın hasta sayısının artmasına bağlanabilir.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• covid
• inguinal herni
• strangülasyon
• inkarserasyon
• cerrahi

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