Did we do it right? The effect of postponing elective orthopedic surgeries due to the pandemic on the quality of life

Abstract

Objective: To investigate the effect of the postponement of elective surgeries on the quality of life of the patients and to examine the post-operative COVID-19 rates of patients who underwent elective surgery and investigate the associated risk factors. Methods: In this retrospective study, 187 patients who underwent elective surgery between June and July 2020 and between January and May 2021 were examined. Age, gender, occupation, comorbidity, time of surgical delay, type of surgery, hospitalization, and follow-up periods were recorded. Surgeries were categorized under four headings; knee arthroscopy, arthroplasty, rotator cuff repair/impingement, and minor surgery. To examine the quality of life of all operated patients, a validated Turkish version of EQ-5D-3L was used. All patients were questioned on phone to identify the risk factors for transmission. Statistical analyzes were performed using SPSS 26.0 version. Results: Among the 187 patients evaluated in the study, 40 patients (21.4%) were diagnosed nCOV-19 during the postoperative period. Regardless of the type of surgery performed, mobility, pain/discomfort, and anxiety/depression scores were increased significantly postoperatively (p