During the COVID-19 pandemic, surgical trainees at VA teaching hospitals experienced a significant decrease in operative volume due to the suspension of elective cases nationwide. A retrospective analysis of surgical cases revealed that operative cases dropped by half during the peak of the pandemic and remained 20% below pre-pandemic levels the following year. Interestingly, there was an increase in resident autonomy as primary surgeons without attending scrubbed, especially during the peak of COVID-19. However, this trend has started to regress towards pre-pandemic levels and requires further attention.
Journal Article by Tsui GO, Kunac A (…) Anjaria DJ et 2 al. in Am Surg