A nationwide survey on the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on minimal invasive surgery in urology practice

Objective: The beta-coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has changed the clinical approach of 93% of urologists worldwide, and this situation has affected the use of laparoscopic and robot-assisted laparoscopic methods, which are known as minimally invasive surgery (MIS). This study aimed to determine the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on MIS in urology practice at national level. Design, setting and participants: A total of 234 urologists in Turkey participated in an online survey between August 22 and September 23, 2020. Outcome measurements and statistical analysis: Descriptive statistical analyses were conducted to determine the participants’ demographic characteristics and responses to multiple-choice questions. Results: While 54% of urologists stated that they were concerned about the possibility that the patients planned to undergo MIS were carrying COVID-19 or false-negative for the virus, 51% considered that open surgery was safer than MIS in this regard. The pandemic led to a difference in the preferences of 40% of the urologists in relation to open or MIS methods, and during the pandemic, 39% of the urologists always directed their patients to open surgery. It was determined that during the pandemic, there was a statistical decrease in the intensity and weekly application of MIS methods among all surgical procedures compared to the pre-pandemic (P <.001 and P <.001, respectively). MIS was preferred for oncological operations by 97.3% of the urologists during the pandemic, with the most performed operation being radical nephrectomy (90.7%). Among oncological operations, radical prostatectomy was most frequently postponed. To prevent virus transmission during MIS, 44% of the urologists reported that they always used an additional evacuation system and 52% took additional precautions. There were a total of 27 healthcare workers who took part in MIS and tested positive for COVID-19 after the operation. Conclusions: Although the number of operations has decreased during the ongoing pandemic, MIS is a method that can be preferred due to its limited contamination and mortality in urology practice provided that safety measures are taken and guideline recommendations are followed