{"title":"Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on ophthalmic surgery at a tertiary hospital in South Africa","authors":"Ismail Makda, A. Makgotloe, N. Ally","doi":"10.4102/aveh.v82i1.860","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic impacted the provision of ophthalmic care.Aim: This study aimed to quantify the pandemic on the number of ophthalmic surgeries.Setting: The study was conducted at a South African tertiary academic hospital.Methods: A retrospective comparative analysis of eye surgeries 1 year pre- and post- onset of the COVID-19 lockdown (27 March 2019 to 26 March 2021) was conducted. Theatre surgical records were analysed 1-year pre- and post-lockdown. All surgical procedures were recorded and subcategorised into cataract, cornea, glaucoma, oncologic, orbital, oculoplastic, strabismus, trauma, vitreoretinal, and other. Trauma surgeries in the post-pandemic year were sub-analysed based on the level alcohol restriction level.Results: Total surgeries decreased from 3521 to 1551 (P 0.001). Using multivariate analysis, the incidence rate ratio (IRR) for all surgeries during the pandemic was 0.47 (P 0.001) with a significantly reduced IRR during the first wave of 0.427 (P = 0.003) and a non-significant change during wave two; IRR 1.25 (P = 0.36). All surgical subgroups decreased significantly except oncology, insignificant decrease from 211 to 180 (P = 0.12). Trauma significantly decreased during periods of total alcohol bans; IRR of 0.50 (P 0.001). An insignificant decrease was found during periods of partial ban with an IRR of 0.83 (P = 0.06) compared with periods without alcohol restrictions.Conclusion: Post lockdown, the total number of surgeries decreased in all subgroups except oncology. Alcohol bans significantly decreased trauma surgeries.Contribution: This article provides valuable insight, which may inform public health policy.","PeriodicalId":7694,"journal":{"name":"African Vision and Eye Health","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0000,"publicationDate":"2023-12-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"African Vision and Eye Health","FirstCategoryId":"1085","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.4102/aveh.v82i1.860","RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":null,"ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"","JCRName":"","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic impacted the provision of ophthalmic care.Aim: This study aimed to quantify the pandemic on the number of ophthalmic surgeries.Setting: The study was conducted at a South African tertiary academic hospital.Methods: A retrospective comparative analysis of eye surgeries 1 year pre- and post- onset of the COVID-19 lockdown (27 March 2019 to 26 March 2021) was conducted. Theatre surgical records were analysed 1-year pre- and post-lockdown. All surgical procedures were recorded and subcategorised into cataract, cornea, glaucoma, oncologic, orbital, oculoplastic, strabismus, trauma, vitreoretinal, and other. Trauma surgeries in the post-pandemic year were sub-analysed based on the level alcohol restriction level.Results: Total surgeries decreased from 3521 to 1551 (P 0.001). Using multivariate analysis, the incidence rate ratio (IRR) for all surgeries during the pandemic was 0.47 (P 0.001) with a significantly reduced IRR during the first wave of 0.427 (P = 0.003) and a non-significant change during wave two; IRR 1.25 (P = 0.36). All surgical subgroups decreased significantly except oncology, insignificant decrease from 211 to 180 (P = 0.12). Trauma significantly decreased during periods of total alcohol bans; IRR of 0.50 (P 0.001). An insignificant decrease was found during periods of partial ban with an IRR of 0.83 (P = 0.06) compared with periods without alcohol restrictions.Conclusion: Post lockdown, the total number of surgeries decreased in all subgroups except oncology. Alcohol bans significantly decreased trauma surgeries.Contribution: This article provides valuable insight, which may inform public health policy.