Table 1.
Characteristics of included studies.
| Author | Aim | Type of study | Number of patients | Study period | Type of surgery | Interval from COVID-19 and surgery | Morbidity related to COVID-19 infection | Mortality |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| COVID-19Surg[1] | To determine the optimal waiting time between COVID-19 infection and surgery | Prospective cohort, international, multicentric | 3,127 | October 2020 | All types of surgery | 0–2 weeks (1,138), 3–4 weeks (461), 5–6 weeks, and ≥ 7 weeks (1,202) | With > 7 weeks, similar morbidity to control group | With > 7 weeks, similar mortality to control group |
| Carrier[7] | Primary: characteristics and
evolution of COVID-19-infected patients who required
surgery Secondary: characteristics of patients who have recovered from infection and require surgery |
Prospective cohort. Multicentric in Quebec, Canada | 44 | March-June 2020 | All types of non-cardiac surgery | Does not discriminate. All patients were asymptomatic at the time of surgery or had more than 14 days of negative PCR | Complications were high in
patients with COVID-19 at the time of surgery, especially in
symptomatic patients. In recovered patients, morbidity was lower and similar between them. Events were similar with symptomatic COVID-19 and non-symptomatic COVID-19 |
It was higher in symptomatic COVID-19 |
| Kho R[9] | Morbidity and mortality of a subgroup of surgeries postponed due to COVID-19 | Prospective. Multicentric in the United States of America | 114 | July to December 2020 | Gynecological surgery | Mean 98.3±64 days | The COVID-19-postponed subgroup showed no difference from the non-COVID-19 group | No data |
| Welk B[10] | Postoperative mortality in the early and late period after diagnosis of COVID-19-19 | Retrospective. Database analysis in Ontario, Canada | 146 | February and May 2020 | All types of surgery, including heart surgery | Within 14 days or later | Mortality was significantly lower in patients who underwent surgery 15-60 days after COVID-19 diagnosis | 19.7% (£ 14 days) and 6.2% (after 15 days) |
| Nedelu M[11] | Postoperative complications | Retrospective. Multicentric. Europe. | 35 | June-October 2020 | Bariatric surgery | Mean of 11.3 weeks (3-43 weeks) | No complications related to infection in the first 30 days | No mortality |
| VosburgW[12] | Morbidity and mortality in patients who had COVID-19 and recovered | Retrospective. Multicentric in the United States of America | 53 | No data | Bariatric surgery | 54 days for asymptomatic and 102 days for mild symptoms. The average waiting time was 82 days. | No complications | No mortality |
| Gomez O[13] | Evolution of patients who presented COVID-19 in the perioperative period | Retrospective. Multicentric in Brazil | 104 | March 2020 – July 2021 | Cardiac surgery | Mean 48 ±51 days before surgery in the group that had COVID-19 before surgery | Patients operated after 10 days of COVID-19 had lower morbidity | Surgery after 10 days of COVID-19 had lower mortality |
| Knisley[14] | To evaluate surgical results in patients with COVID-19 | Retrospective in 2 centers | 468 | March – April 2020 | Mainly gynecological and oncological | 55.6% were diagnosed preoperatively | Higher incidence of serious complications and mortality with previous COVID-19 | 16.7% (with COVID-19) vs. 1.2% (not COVID-19). 23.5% (symptomatic) vs. 10.5% (asymptomatic) |
| Ismail[15] | Surgical results in patients with COVID-19 | Single center. Retrospective | 12 | June 2020 – July 2021 | Cardiac surgery | Average of 46 days | Higher incidence of non-invasive ventilation requirement | Non-major mortality |
| Baiocchi[16] | Surgical results in patients with a history of asymptomatic COVID-19 | Retrospective | 49 | April 2020 – June 2020 | Oncologic surgery | 25-day average | No differences in postoperative complications | No operative mortality |
| Deng[17] | Surgical results in patients with COVID-19 | Retrospective cohort | 2858 | March 2020 – May 2021 | All types of surgery excluding emergencies. Vaccinated patients were not included | Peri-COVID-19 (0-4 weeks), early post-COVID-19 (5-8 weeks), and late post-COVID-19 (after 8 weeks) subgroups | Greater respiratory complications, pneumonia, thromboembolism, and sepsis in peri-COVID-19. Increased risk of pneumonia in early post-COVID-19 | Does not report mortality |
COVID-19=coronavirus disease 2019; PCR=polymerase chain reaction