Impact of previous COVID-19 infection on postoperative complications and functional recovery: a one-year follow-up ambispective cohort study.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: It's necessary to reassess the patients' short-term and long-term postoperative outcome in the post-COVID-19 era. This study aims to provide more comprehensive evidence regarding the timing of surgery after COVID-19 infection among the vaccinated population upon Omicron variant, considering the duration after acute COVID-19 infection, severity of COVID-19, patients' comorbidities, and the full course quality of postoperative recovery. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This is a single-center cohort study. Patients diagnosed with preoperative COVID-19 infection were consecutively included before surgery. Patients' demographics, surgical characteristics, and COVID-19 related factors were documented. Exposure was the time interval from COVID-19 infection to surgery. The primary outcome was postoperative complications within 30 days. The secondary outcomes included postoperative mortality within 30 days, functional disability at 6 and 12 months after surgery. RESULTS: A total of 4953 patients were included, and postoperative complications occurred in 353 patients (7.1%) within 30 days after surgery. Time interval from COVID-19 infection to surgery was associated with postoperative complications within 30 days after surgery (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] per day 0.99; 95% CI, 0.99-1.00; P<0.01), as well as postoperative 6- and 12-month functional disability ([aOR] 1.00; 95% CI, 0.99-1.00; P<0.01; and [aOR] 0.99; 95% CI, 0.98-1.00; P=0.01, respectively). Delaying surgery beyond a time interval of 2 weeks was associated with reduced postoperative 30-day complications ([aOR] 0.63; 95% CI, 0.43-0.91; P=0.01) and mortality ([aOR] 0.07; 95% CI, 0.01-0.38; P<0.01). Meanwhile, delaying surgery beyond a time interval of 7 weeks was associated with reduced functional disability at both 6-month ([aOR] 0.67; 95% CI, 0.58-0.79; P<0.01) and 12-month postoperatively ([aOR] 0.71; 95% CI, 0.53-0.95; P=0.02). CONCLUSION: A 2 weeks delay after COVID-19 infection is necessary for decreasing short-term postoperative risks, and a longer waiting period could be beneficial for long-term functional recovery.