What the pandemic has taught us: a different look at lung cancer surgical treatment.
Öz
Abstract
Object: The aim of this study was to evaluate and compare the outcomes of patients who underwent surgery for non-small cell lung cancer in our clinic before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Materials and Methods: Between March 2019 and June 2021, 185 patients aged over 40 who were operated on at our clinic and were diagnosed with non-small cell lung cancer following pathology were included in the study. Patients who underwent surgery before March 11, 2020 (control group), and those who underwent surgery after this date (pandemic group) were divided into two groups. In both groups, patients without a preoperative diagnosis underwent surgery based on PET-CT findings supporting malignancy. In the pandemic group, additional pre-, intra-, and postoperative measures were in use. In the pandemic group, segmentectomy was preferred to lobectomy in cases with tumour diameter <2 centimetres (cm) and peripherally located tumours.
Results: When comparing both groups for the incidence of chronic diseases, the increase in the pandemic group was statistically significantly higher than in the control group (p <0.05). It was noted that two patients in the pandemic group had been infected with Covid-19 prior to the operation. When comparing the groups for preoperative biopsy, the decrease in the number of preoperative biopsies in the pandemic group was statistically significant (p <0.05). There was a reduction in drain removal and hospital stay in the pandemic group. This difference was highly statistically significant (p <0.001). Additionally, none of the patients in the pandemic group were readmitted to the hospital for a second time after discharge. There were no deaths in the control group, while one death in the pandemic group was due to kidney failure. No patient in the pandemic group had contracted Covid-19 during the post-operative follow-up.
Results Experience has shown that delaying lung cancer surgery during the pandemic may lead to more serious consequences than the devastating effects of the pandemic itself. This delay has necessitated the adoption of new surgical interventions and modifications to conventional surgical procedures. These changes can help guide healthcare professionals in avoiding the unnecessary use of hospital resources and reduce healthcare expenditures.
Anahtar Kelimeler
Kaynakça
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