Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Surgical Treatment of Patients With Urological Diseases at a University Hospital

Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) appeared in China and spread quickly to other regions of the country and around the world, changing the way of life of individuals and the routine of healthcare systems. Objective: The aim of the present study was to investigate the impact of the pandemic on the surgical treatment of patients with urological diseases at a university hospital. Materials and methods: A retrospective analysis of the charts of patients with urological diseases submitted to surgical treatment between January 2019 and December 2020 was conducted. The variables of interest were age, sex, and most performed surgical procedures (double-J stent placement, cystoscopy, vasectomy, removal of double-J stent, ureterolithotripsy, endoscopic bladder procedure, kidney transplant, and endoscopic prostate procedure). Results: Around 59.03% of patients with urological diseases who had surgery in 2019 were male; placement of the double-J stent accounted for 35.85% of all surgeries; 3556 surgical procedures were performed. In 2020, 57.22% of the patients were male, placement of the double-J stent accounted for 38.34% of all surgeries, and 3093 surgical procedures took place. Analyzing the types of surgery conducted in 2019 and 2020, a significant reduction occurred in the number of procedures in 2020 (p = 0.000). Conclusion: The pandemic exerted an impact on the surgical treatment of patients with urological diseases at a university hospital. No significant changes occurred with regard to the sex and age of the patients, but a significant difference was found in the number of surgical procedures performed.