ArticleBMJ open2021
Comparison of outcomes of neurosurgical operations performed before and during the COVID-19 pandemic: a matched cohort study.
Article in BMJ open, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.
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Who cites it
5 citing papers in PubMed.
- Clinical outcomes of neurosurgical patients during the COVID-19 pandemic: a systematic review and meta-analysis of global data.Acta neurologica Belgica · 2026Review
- Neurosurgical care for patients with high-grade gliomas during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic: Analysis of routine billing data of a German nationwide hospital network.Neuro-oncology practice · 2023Article
- The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic in Postoperative Neurosurgical Infections at a Reference Center in México.Antibiotics (Basel, Switzerland) · 2023Article
- Analyzing outcomes of neurosurgical operations performed before and during the COVID-19 pandemic in Egypt. A matched single-center cohort study.Interdisciplinary neurosurgery : Advanced techniques and case management · 2021Article
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Authors and funding
8 authors.
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No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectiveTo determine how the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic affected outcomes for all operatively managed neurosurgical patients, not only those positive for SARS-CoV-2.
designMatched cohort (pairwise method).
settingA single tertiary neurosurgical referral centre at a large UK Major Trauma Centre.
participantsDuring the first COVID-19 wave, 231 neurosurgical cases were performed. These cases were matched to cases from 2019. Cases were matched for age (±10 years), primary pathology and surgical procedure. Cases were excluded from analysis if either the age could not be matched to within 10 years, or the primary pathology or procedure was too unique. After exclusions, 191 cases were included in final analysis. OUTCOME MEASURES: Primary outcomes were 30-day mortality and postoperative pulmonary complications. Secondary outcomes included Glasgow Outcome Score (GOS) on discharge, length of stay (LoS), operative and anaesthetic times and grade of primary surgeon. An exploratory outcome was the SARS-CoV-2 status of patients.
resultsThere was no significant difference between the pandemic and matched cohorts in 30-day mortality, pulmonary complications, discharge GOS, LoS, operative or anaesthetic times. There was a significant difference in the variation of grade of primary surgeon. Only 2.2% (n=5) of patients had a SARS-CoV-2 positive swab.
conclusionDuring the first UK wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, the mortality, morbidity and functional outcomes of operatively managed neurosurgical patients at University Hospitals Birmingham were not significantly affected compared with normal practice. The grade of primary surgeon was significantly more senior and adds to the growing body of evidence that demonstrates how the pandemic has negatively impacted UK surgical training. Mixing COVID-19 positive, unknown and negative cases did not significantly impact on outcomes and indicates that further research is required to support the implementation of evidence-based surgical pathways, such as COVID-light sites, throughout the next stage of the pandemic.
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