The Adverse Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on General Surgical Residents' Surgical Practices: Real-Life Data with Numbers

Purpose: The COVID-19 pandemic has had a negative impact on medical education and training worldwide. In this study, we investigated the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on general surgical residency training.

Material-Method: The work locations, rates of infection with SARS-CoV-2, and the numbers of endoscopic and surgical procedures during the 9 months before the pandemic (June 2019-December 2019 and January-February 2020) and during the 9 months of the pandemic (April 2020-December 2020) were compared for general surgical residents. Furthermore, residents were asked three questions regarding the impact of the pandemic on their surgical training.

Results: A total of 14 residents, with a median age of 29.5 years (range: 27-34) and a median duration of training of 42 months (range: 24-60), were included in .Residents with less than 42 months of training experience (junior residents) showed a significant decrease in the duration of work in the general surgery ward and outpatient clinic compared to the pre-pandemic period (p=0.014 and p=0.034, respectively). There was also a decrease in the number of surgeries performed under the supervision of general surgery specialists (39.5 vs 22; p=0.027) Senior residents also had a significant decrease in the duration of work in the operating room compared to the pre-pandemic period ([median 3.75 (range: 3-6) vs. 3.0 (range: 2-6); p=0.024]), and there was a statistically significant decrease in the numbers of surgeries performed under the supervision of education staff (associate professor, professor, chief resident) and general surgery specialists (p=0.017, p=0.035, and p=0.012, respectively). All junior residents (100%) and 87.5% of senior residents expressed that their general surgical education was inadequate during the pandemic.

Conclusion: During the pandemic, both junior and senior residents experienced a significant decrease in the numbers of endoscopic and surgical procedures and surgeries performed under supervision.