AB113. SOH22ABS003. Auditing the rate of representation and complications due to gallstones in patients awaiting cholecystectomy during coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) theatre restrictions
General Session III

AB113. SOH22ABS003. Auditing the rate of representation and complications due to gallstones in patients awaiting cholecystectomy during coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) theatre restrictions

Patrick O’Donohoe, Michael Boland, Arnold Hill

Department of Surgery, Beaumont Hospital, Dublin, Ireland

Background: Symptomatic Cholelithiasis is a surgical pathology commonly treated with elective cholecystectomy (EC). Guidelines from EASL/NICE recommend early cholecystectomy due to the risk of further gallstone related complications. During the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) Pandemic significant restrictions have been placed on elective surgery which may delay EC risking further complications.

Methods: EC cases from an elective surgical unit attached to a tertiary hospital were reviewed. Patient records from two groups were assessed: pre-COVID (surgery from 01/04/19 to 01/04/20) and during COVID (from 01/04/20 to 01/04/21). Date of first presentation with symptomatic gallstones was recorded as was the date of waitlisting. Subsequent ED presentations, admissions, and procedures prior to surgery were also compared.

Results: There was a 44% reduction in EC performed during COVID compared to pre-COVID. Median time from first presentation to surgery was 240 days (159 days on waitlist), compared to 156 and 98 days pre-COVID. Fourteen patients during COVID (34.15%) represented before their surgery with 5 (12.2%) readmitted, compared to the pre-COVID group where 26 patients (35.14%) represented and 17 (22.97%) readmitted. In the pre-COVID group 1 patient (1.3%) required emergency ERCP between index presentation and surgery compared to 2 (4.9%) during COVID.

Conclusions: The COVID-19 pandemic saw a clear reduction in EC and longer waiting times for surgery for these patients. While there was not a significant increase in patients representing or being readmitted during this period, the higher rate of emergency ERCP is cause for concern. Timely EC remains important as COVID-19 and the restrictions on elective surgery continue to pose challenges.

Keywords: Cholecystectomy; complications; coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19); elective surgery; gallstones

Acknowledgments

Funding: None.

Footnote

Conflicts of Interest: The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.

Ethical Statement: The authors are accountable for all aspects of the work in ensuring that questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any part of the work are appropriately investigated and resolved.

Open Access Statement: This is an Open Access article distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0), which permits the non-commercial replication and distribution of the article with the strict proviso that no changes or edits are made and the original work is properly cited (including links to both the formal publication through the relevant DOI and the license). See: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/.

doi: 10.21037/map-22-ab113
Cite this abstract as: O’Donohoe P, Boland M, Hill A. AB113. SOH22ABS003. Auditing the rate of representation and complications due to gallstones in patients awaiting cholecystectomy during coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) theatre restrictions. Mesentery Peritoneum 2022;6:AB113.

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