Impacto de la pandemia COVID-19 en la cirugía pancreática. Análisis en dos instituciones, una pública y otra privada

Abstract

ABSTRACT Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has introduced dramatic changes in the health system. Elective surgeries are the surgical activities with greater decline during the pandemic. Objective: The aim of this paper is to analyze the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in pancreatic surgery in a public and a private institution. The number of surgeries performed in each institution was compared with those performed in same period of the previous year. Material and methods: Data from a prospective database of all the patients who underwent pancreatic surgery between March 10, 2020, and June 3, 2020, were analyzed. The epidemiological data, type of pancreatic resection, pathology diagnosis, morbidity and mortality were determined in each institution and compared with patients who underwent pancreatic surgery in both institutions between March 3, 2019, and June 24, 2019. Results: 23 pancreatic resections were performed during the pandemic (13 cephalic pancreaticoduodenectomies, 9 left pancreatectomies and 1 total pancreatectomy); 70% (16/23) were adenocarcinomas. There were 34.7% complications and no deaths were reported. None of the patients was infected with coronavirus. The pandemic had no impact on the number of pancreatic resections in the private institution (22 vs. 20, p = 0.88), while the number of pancreatic surgeries was significantly lower in the public center (14 vs. 3, p = 0.009). Conclusion: Pancreatic surgery can be safely performed during the pandemic. The number of pancreatic surgeries did not decline during the pandemic. The priority for treating patients with COVID-19 at the public center resulted in a significant decrease in pancreatic surgeries. Keywords: pandemic, COVID 19, surgery, pancreas, pancreatic surgery, private center, public center, pancreaticoduodenectomy, left pancreatectomy.