Seoul National University Hospital Reports Findings in COVID-19 (Trends in degenerative lumbar spinal surgery during the early COVID-19 pandemic in Republic of Korea: A national study utilizing the national health insurance database): Coronavirus – COVID-19

2024 JUN 26 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at NewsRx COVID-19 Daily -- New research on Coronavirus - COVID-19 is the subject of a report. According to news reporting originating from Seoul, South Korea, by NewsRx correspondents, research stated, “During the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Republic of Korea (ROK) experienced three epidemic waves in February, August, and November 2020. These waves, combined with the overarching pandemic, significantly influenced trends in spinal surgery.”

Financial supporters for this research include Seoul National University Hospital Research Fund, Doosan Yonkang Foundation, Armed Forces Capital Hospital.

Our news editors obtained a quote from the research from Seoul National University Hospital, “This study aimed to investigate the trends in degenerative lumbar spinal surgery in ROK during the early COVID-19 pandemic, especially in relation to specific epidemic waves. Using the National Health Information Database in ROK, we identified all patients who underwent surgery for degenerative lumbar spinal diseases between January 1, 2019 and December 31, 2020. A joinpoint regression was used to assess temporal trends in spinal surgeries over the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. The number of surgeries decreased following the first and second epidemic waves (p <0.01 and p = 0.34, respectively), but these were offset by compensatory increases later on (p <0.01 and p = 0.05, respectively). However, the third epidemic wave did not lead to a decrease in surgical volume, and the total number of surgeries remained comparable to the period before the pandemic. When compared to the pre-COVID-19 period, average LOH was reduced by 1 day during the COVID-19 period (p <0.01), while mean hospital costs increased significantly from 3,511 to 4,061 USD (p <0.01). Additionally, the transfer rate and the 30-day readmission rate significantly decreased (both p<0.01), while the reoperation rate remained stable (p = 0.36). Despite the impact of epidemic waves on monthly surgery numbers, a subsequent compensatory increase was observed, indicating that surgical care has adapted to the challenges of the pandemic. This adaptability, along with the stable total number of operations, highlights the potential for healthcare systems to continue elective spine surgery during public health crises with strategic resource allocation and patient triage.”

According to the news editors, the research concluded: “Policies should ensure that surgeries for degenerative spinal diseases, particularly those not requiring urgent care but crucial for patient quality of life, are not unnecessarily halted.”

For more information on this research see: Trends in degenerative lumbar spinal surgery during the early COVID-19 pandemic in Republic of Korea: A national study utilizing the national health insurance database. PLOS ONE, 2024;19(6). PLOS ONE can be contacted at: Public Library Science, 1160 Battery Street, Ste 100, San Francisco, CA 94111, USA. (Public Library of Science - www.plos.org; PLOS ONE - www.plosone.org)

The news editors report that additional information may be obtained by contacting Jinhee Kim, Division of Clinical Epidemiology, Medical Research Collaborating Center, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, South Korea. Additional authors for this research include Woon Tak Yuh, Mi-Sook Kim, Jun-Hoe Kim, Young Rak Kim, Sum Kim, Chun Kee Chung, Chang-Hyun Lee, Sung Bae Park, Kyoung-Tae Kim, John M. Rhee, Young San Ko and Chi Heon Kim.

The direct object identifier (DOI) for that additional information is: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0305128. This DOI is a link to an online electronic document that is either free or for purchase, and can be your direct source for a journal article and its citation.

Publisher contact information for the journal PLOS ONE is: Public Library Science, 1160 Battery Street, Ste 100, San Francisco, CA 94111, USA.

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