Impact of elective case postponement secondary to COVID-19 on general surgery residents’ experience: operative cases logged at three academic teaching hospitals

Abstract Objective: This study aims to characterize changes in the total operative cases logged by general surgery residents across three residency programs. Design: Retrospective cohort study. De-identified case logs, divided by institution and post graduate year (PGY) level, were obtained from the general surgery training programs at three academic hospitals. Total cases logged were calculated over the pandemic period (start: beginning of residency, end: May 31st, 2020) and the control period (start: beginning of residency, end: May 31st, 2019). Setting: Three academic tertiary hospitals (Mayo Clinic – Arizona, Mayo Clinic – Florida, and Mayo Clinic – Rochester) Participants: All general surgery residents at these three hospitals, including 25 residents at Mayo Clinic – Arizona in both the pandemic and control period, 16 and 15 residents at Mayo Clinic – Florida in the control and pandemic period, respectively, and 81 and 77 residents at Mayo Clinic – Rochester in the control and pandemic period, respectively. Results: Only PGY 4 general surgery residents at Mayo Clinic – Rochester had a decrease in operative cases logged in the pandemic period (759 cases on average compared to 1010 cases, p=0.005), with no other changes in operative cases logged noted. Conclusions: While elective cases were postponed secondary to the COVID-19 pandemic for around 1 month in the spring of 2020, the decrease in elective cases did not greatly impact overall resident operative cases logged for residents in three general surgery residency programs. ACGME Competency: Patient Care and Procedural Skills