Impact of the first surge of the coronavirus disease pandemic on general thoracic surgery practices in Kanagawa: a questionnaire survey by the Kanagawa General Thoracic Surgical Study Group

Objectives: The first surge in severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection had a significant impact on health care institutions. Understanding how the pandemic affected general thoracic surgery would provide valuable data for establishing a health care protocol for upcoming surges.

Methods: A questionnaire survey on coronavirus disease-related patient statistics and health care was conducted between February 2020 and June 2020 across 14 facilities affiliated with the Kanagawa General Thoracic Surgery Study Group.

Results: The average number of newly referred patients from February to June 2020 was 65% of that during the same period in 2019. Six facilities placed restrictions on medical care services, among which four restricted surgeries. At all institutions and those placed on surgical restriction, the total number of surgeries under general anesthesia was 92% and 78%, the total number of primary lung cancers was 94% and 86%, and the total number of surgeries for pneumothorax was 71% and 77% of that in the preceding year, respectively. Infection control and insufficient resources of the medical material were the most influential factors impacting the medical institutions' decision to restrict the services provided.

Conclusions: Restrictions on surgery had a significant impact on the care provided by general thoracic surgery departments. To avoid patient inconvenience, establishing a collaborative system that refers patients to operational medical institutions in case of medical treatment restrictions may be useful.