Abstract
Background: The influence of SARS-CoV-2 on surgery for non–small cell lung cancer needs to be understood to inform clinical decision making during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Objective: This study reports on the 90-day rate of infection as well as the morbidity and mortality of lung surgery for cancer in a tertiary care hospital located in a pandemic epicenter. Methods: We conducted a retrospective review of a prospective database to identify consecutive patients who underwent lung cancer resection before (January 1, 2020-March 10, 2020, group 1; 57 patients) and during the COVID-19 pandemic (March 11, 2020-June 10, 2020, group 2; 41 patients). The primary end point was the occurrence of SARS-CoV-2 infection during the first 90-days after surgery. The secondary outcome measure was 90-day perioperative morbidity and mortality. Results: Patient characteristics were not significantly different between the groups. Ninety-day COVID-19 infection rates was 7.3% (3 out of 41) for patients undergoing an operation during the pandemic and 3.5% (2 out of 57) in patients operated on immediately before the pandemic. All patients tested positive 10 to 62 days after the index surgical procedure following hospital discharge. Four COVID-19–positive patients were symptomatic and 4 out of 5 patients required hospitalization, were men, previous or current smokers with hyperlipidemia, and underwent a sublobar resection. Univariate analysis did not identify any differences in postoperative complications before or during the COVID-19 pandemic. Ninety-day mortality was 5% (2 out of 41) for lung cancer surgery performed during the pandemic, with all deaths occurring due to COVID-19, compared with 0% (0 out of 57) mortality in patients who underwent an operation before the pandemic. Conclusions: During the COVID-19 pandemic, COVID-19 infections occurred in 7.3% of patients who underwent surgery for non–small cell lung cancer. In this series all infections occurred after hospital discharge. Our results suggest that COVID-19 infections occurring within 90 days of surgery portend a 40% mortality, warranting close postoperative surveillance.
Original language | English (US) |
---|---|
Pages (from-to) | 378-385 |
Number of pages | 8 |
Journal | Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery |
Volume | 164 |
Issue number | 2 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Aug 2022 |
Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- COVID
- coronavirus
- lung cancer
- resection
- thoracic surgery
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Surgery
- Pulmonary and Respiratory Medicine
- Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine