COVID-19 has detrimental effect on surgical residents’ operative experience

Editor's Note

This review study, led by researchers at the Harbor-University of California, Los Angeles Medical Center, Torrance, finds a significant negative effect of COVID-19 on general surgery residents’ operative experience.

This retrospective review of 1,358 resident case logs from 16 general surgery programs in the US finds a 33.5% drop in residents’ operative volume from March to June 2020, and the decrease affected residents in every level of training.

Level 1 trauma centers had a significantly lower reduction in case volume (27.7%) than non-level 1 trauma centers (46%).

If this trend continues, the effect on training of surgical residents may be even more detrimental, the researchers say. Many surgical residents are concerned that they will not be eligible or prepared technically for graduation because of the pandemic.