Safety of Endoscopic Transsphenoidal Pituitary Surgery during the COVID-19 Pandemic and Comparison to the Pre-Pandemic Era.
Scientific Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused significant disruption to the surgical care of patients with pituitary tumors. Guidance issued early during the pandemic suggested avoiding transnasal approaches to minimize risks of transmitting COVID-19 to health care professionals involved in these procedures. This observational, single-center study compares results of endoscopic transsphenoidal approach (TSA) for pituitary tumors since the start of the pandemic to a pre-pandemic period. Anesthetic time, surgical time, and complication rates were compared. Newly acquired COVID-19 infections and transmission rates to patients and staff were reviewed. Data were analyzed by using the independent -test, Mann-Whitney U test, and Pearson Chi-square test, significance set at <0.05. Over a 12-month period, a total of 50 and 69 patients underwent endoscopic TSA for pituitary tumor during and before the pandemic, respectively. All patients tested negative for COVID-19 preoperatively. Median duration of anesthesia was 35 minutes (interquartile range [IQR]: 22) during the pandemic and 25 minutes (IQR: 8, = 0.0002) pre-pandemic. Median duration of surgery was 70 minutes (IQR: 28) during the pandemic and 79 minutes (IQR: 33.75, = 0.126) pre-pandemic. There were no statistically significant differences between intraoperative CSF leaks and complication rates. No staff members tested positive for COVID-19. Three patients tested positive for COVID-19 postdischarge, but the infections were community acquired. In contrast to published guidelines, adequate preoperative testing, a multidisciplinary approach and the implementation of standardized protocols and vaccination against COVID-19 allow for endoscopic transsphenoidal surgery to be performed safely in patients with pituitary pathology during the pandemic.
Similar content
Paper
Suppression of pathological oscillations with transcranial focused ultrasound in Parkinson’s disease
Nat Commun, Epub ahead of Print (2026)
Paper
Modulation of limbic resting-state networks by subthalamic nucleus deep brain stimulation.
2023. Netw Neurosci, 7(2):478-495.
Free Full Text at Europe PMC
PMC10312264
Paper
Deep Brain Stimulation of the Nucleus Accumbens in Severe Enduring Anorexia Nervosa: A Pilot Study.
2022. Front Behav Neurosci, 16:842184.
Free Full Text at Europe PMC
PMC9094709
Paper
Early and ultra-early surgical decompression for acute spinal cord injury: bracing for the winds of change.
2022. Eur Spine J, 31(7):1691-1692.
Safety of Endoscopic Transsphenoidal Pituitary Surgery during the COVID-19 Pandemic and Comparison to the Pre-Pandemic Era.
Scientific Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused significant disruption to the surgical care of patients with pituitary tumors. Guidance issued early during the pandemic suggested avoiding transnasal approaches to minimize risks of transmitting COVID-19 to health care professionals involved in these procedures. This observational, single-center study compares results of endoscopic transsphenoidal approach (TSA) for pituitary tumors since the start of the pandemic to a pre-pandemic period. Anesthetic time, surgical time, and complication rates were compared. Newly acquired COVID-19 infections and transmission rates to patients and staff were reviewed. Data were analyzed by using the independent -test, Mann-Whitney U test, and Pearson Chi-square test, significance set at <0.05. Over a 12-month period, a total of 50 and 69 patients underwent endoscopic TSA for pituitary tumor during and before the pandemic, respectively. All patients tested negative for COVID-19 preoperatively. Median duration of anesthesia was 35 minutes (interquartile range [IQR]: 22) during the pandemic and 25 minutes (IQR: 8, = 0.0002) pre-pandemic. Median duration of surgery was 70 minutes (IQR: 28) during the pandemic and 79 minutes (IQR: 33.75, = 0.126) pre-pandemic. There were no statistically significant differences between intraoperative CSF leaks and complication rates. No staff members tested positive for COVID-19. Three patients tested positive for COVID-19 postdischarge, but the infections were community acquired. In contrast to published guidelines, adequate preoperative testing, a multidisciplinary approach and the implementation of standardized protocols and vaccination against COVID-19 allow for endoscopic transsphenoidal surgery to be performed safely in patients with pituitary pathology during the pandemic.
Citation
2022. J Neurol Surg B Skull Base, 83(Suppl 2)e419-e429.
DOI
10.1055/s-0041-1730352
Free Full Text at Europe PMC
PMC9272276Similar content
Paper
Suppression of pathological oscillations with transcranial focused ultrasound in Parkinson’s disease
Nat Commun, Epub ahead of Print (2026)
Paper
Modulation of limbic resting-state networks by subthalamic nucleus deep brain stimulation.
2023. Netw Neurosci, 7(2):478-495.
Free Full Text at Europe PMC
PMC10312264
Paper
Deep Brain Stimulation of the Nucleus Accumbens in Severe Enduring Anorexia Nervosa: A Pilot Study.
2022. Front Behav Neurosci, 16:842184.
Free Full Text at Europe PMC
PMC9094709
Paper
Early and ultra-early surgical decompression for acute spinal cord injury: bracing for the winds of change.
2022. Eur Spine J, 31(7):1691-1692.