Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Operative Volume and Residency Training at Two Academic Neurosurgery Centers in New Orleans Article

Full Text via DOI: 10.1016/j.wneu.2021.03.122 Web of Science: 000669899000021
International Collaboration

Cited authors

  • Kilgore MD, Scullen T, Mathkour M, Dindial R, Carr C, Zeoli T, Werner C, Kahn L, Bui CJ, Keen JR, Maulucci CM, Dumont AS

Abstract

  • BACKGROUND: Medical subspecialties including neurosurgery have seen a dramatic shift in operative volume in the wake of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID19) pandemic. The goal of this study was to quantify the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on operative volume at 2 academic neurosurgery centers in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA from equivalent periods before and during the COVID19 pandemic. METHODS: A retrospective review was conducted analyzing neurosurgical case records for 2 tertiary academic centers from March to June 2020 and March to June 2019. The records were reviewed for variables including institution and physician coverage, operative volume by month and year, cases per subspecialty, patient demographics, mortality, and morbidity. RESULTS: Comparison of groups showed a 34% reduction in monthly neurosurgical volume per institution during the pandemic compared with earlier time points, including a 77% decrease during April 2020. There was no change in mortality and morbidity across institutions during the pandemic. CONCLUSIONS: The COVID-19 pandemic has had a sig -ificant impact on neurosurgical practice and will likely continue to have long-term effects on patients at a time when global gross domestic products decrease and relative health expenditures increase. Clinicians must anticipate and actively prepare for these impacts in the future.

Publication date

  • 2021

Published in

International Standard Serial Number (ISSN)

  • 1878-8750

Number of pages

  • 10

Start page

  • E68

End page

  • E77

Volume

  • 151