Impact of COVID-19 lockdown on adult cardiac surgery and patient outcomes in a German tertiary care center

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic had a significant impact on global health, leading to changes in the allocation of medical resources and delayed treatment of non-COVID-19 patients. This study aimed to examine the effects of the global pandemic on cardiac surgical procedures and patient outcomes within a tertiary care center.

Two cohorts were compared in this study: the cohort that was treated before the pandemic (2019/2020 cohort) and the cohort that was treated after the implementation of lockdown measures (2020/2021 cohort). Preoperative cardiac status, including the severity of symptoms and history of cardiac decompensation, was evaluated. Rates of urgent and emergent cases and postoperative complications were analyzed.

The 2020/2021 cohort experienced a 21.50% decline in cardiac surgical procedures compared with the 2019/2020 cohort. There were significant increases in high-level symptom severity and incidence of cardiac decompensation/cardiogenic shock in the 2020/2021 cohort. Urgent and emergent cases were more prevalent in the 2020/2021 cohort than in the 2019/2020 cohort. However, there was no significant difference in the 30-day mortality between the two cohorts.

The COVID-19 global pandemic and associated lockdown measures reduced the number of elective cardiac surgeries and increased the number of community patients with worsening cardiac symptoms. These findings highlight the importance of prioritizing urgent and emergent cardiac surgical procedures during times of crisis at a community level.