THE IMPACT OF COVID-19 PANDEMIC ON SYMPTOMATIC GALLSTONE DISEASE

Abstract

Objective: After the COVID-19 pandemic was declared, many centers made alterations in their routine surgical treatments. In this study, we aimed to compare patients who underwent cholecystectomy for symptomatic gallstone disease during the pandemic and pre-pandemic periods.

Material and Methods: Two groups were formed in this study; the pandemic group consisting of patients with symptomatic gallstone disease who underwent surgery between March 11 2020 and January 31 2020, and the pre-pandemic group consisting of patients who were operated in the same period of 2019. These two groups were compared in terms of demographic data, conversion rates and histopathology results.

Results: A total of 293 patients were included in the study. Two hundred and seven patients took part in the pre-pandemic period and 86 in the pandemic period. The rate of conversion to open cholecystectomy was 2.8% (n=6) in the pre-pandemic group and 6.9% (n=6) in the pandemic group. However, there was no statistically significant difference between the groups in terms of conversion rates (p=0.10). The gallbladder wall thickness was significantly higher in the pandemic group compared to the pre-pandemic group (3.2±1.7 mm vs. 2.7±1.4 mm, p=0.009). In the pandemic group, postoperative pathology was reported as subacute cholecystitis in 19.8% (n=17) of patients. In the pre-pandemic group, this rate was 11.1% (n=23) (p=0.04).

Conclusion: Possible delays in the treatment of patients with symptomatic gallbladder stones during the pandemic period may lead to an increase in factors that may result in conversion to open surgery. However, further studies with large sample size are needed to elucidate this issue.

Keywords

• covid-19
• pandemic
• gallbladder stone
• conversion

Semptomatik Safra Kesesi Taşı Hastalığında COVİD-19 Pandemisinin Etkisi

Abstract

Amaç: COVID-19 pandemisi ilan edildikten sonra birçok merkez rutin uygulanan cerrahi tedavilerde değişikliklere gitti. Bu çalışmada semptomatik safra kesesi taşı hastalığı nedeni ile kolesistektomi uygulanan hastaları pandemi ve prepandemi döneminde karşılaştırmayı amaçladık.

Gereç ve Yöntemler: Çalışma için semptomatik safra kesesi taşı hastalığı olan, 11.03.2020-31.12.2020 tarihleri arasında opere edilen hastalardan oluşan pandemi grubu ve 2019 yılının aynı döneminde ameliyat edilen hastalardan oluşan prepandemi grubu olmak üzere iki grup oluşturuldu. Bu iki grup demografik veriler, konversiyon oranları ve patoloji sonuçları açısından karşılaştırıldı.

Bulgular: Toplamda 293 hasta çalışmaya dahil edildi. Bu hastaların 207’si prepandemi döneminde 86’ sı ise pandemi döneminde yer aldı. Prepandemi grubunda açık kolesistektomiye dönen hasta %3 (n=6), pandemi grubunda ise %7 (n=6) olarak bulundu. Ancak konversiyon oranları açısından gruplar arasında anlamlı fark yoktu (p=0,10). Pandemi grubunda kese duvar kalınlığı prepandemi grubuna göre anlamlı olarak yüksek bulundu (3.2±1.7 mm’ye karşı 2.7±1,4 mm, p=0,009). Pandemi grubunda postoperatif patoloji sonucu %20 (n=17) hastada subakut kolesistit olarak raporlandı. Prepandemi grubunda ise bu oran %11 (n=23) olarak bulundu (p=0,04).

Sonuç: Pandemi döneminde semptomatik safra kesesi taşı nedeni olan hastaların tedavilerindeki olası gecikmeler konversiyona neden olabilecek faktörlerde artışa neden olabilir. Ancak bu konuda yüksek sayıda örneklem içeren çalışmalara ihtiyaç duyulmaktadır.

Keywords

• covid-19
• pandemi
• konversiyon
• safra kesesi taşı

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