Gynecologic surgery during the COVID-19 pandemic:patan hospital experience: Gynecologic surgery in COVID-19 pandemic

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic is a major challenge for health care services. Worldwide health systems were reorganized with the aim to both cope with the new disease and deliver surgical services safely and effectively. This study aims to audit  gynecologic surgeries , complications, suspected , positive covid cases during covid -19 pandemic.   Method:  Data of gynecologic surgeries  performed at patan hospital from 1st January to 31st December,2020 during prelockdown , lockdown and postlockdown  period of the pandemic were collected from medical record . Patients’  surgical  procedures, blood transfusion, ICU stay,  length of hospital stay , mortality, Covid-19 cases  were descriptively analyzed .   Result: There were  total 413 surgeries among which major surgery was 155 (37.5%), minor  249 (60.3%), minimally invasive nine (2.2%) , 61 (14.8%)  blood transfusion, mean length of hospital stay 3.75 with standard deviation of 3.711 ,15 (3.63%) cases stayed in ICU following procedure  and one (0.2%) mortality.  149(36.1%) ,116(28.1%) and 148(28.1%) cases were done during  prelockdown  ,  lockdown   and  postlockdown period respectively . Thirteen patients were suspected with COVID-19 infection and these surgeries were done in COVID operating room with full protective gear and 8 tested positive following a diagnostic PCR test .                                                                                             Conclusion: There was  decrease in  major procedures during lockdown period ,a result of travel restrictions, fear and postponement of elective surgeries prioritising the health care services. All the adequate protective measures taken  in the setting of COVID-19  enabled the continuity of  surgery without significant compromise of the safety of patients and gynecologic surgery units.