OBJECTIVES: Long COVID-19 is still poorly understood, including how it affects healthcare provision for unrelated conditions. Given the backlog of routine operations in many countries, it is important to examine if long COVID-19 disproportionately affects recovery.

METHODS: Patients scheduled for routine surgery were asked whether they had a history of COVID-19 infection and whether they experienced a range of long COVID-19 symptoms (LCS) (breathlessness/fatigue/brain fog/etc.). They completed the Quality of Recovery-15 (QOR-15) and EQ-5D-5L measures at baseline, as well as QOR-15 one day post-operation and EQ-5D-5L 30 days post-operation. QOR-15 score and EQ-5D-5L index values were analysed using random effects Tobit models to measure the disproportionate impact of surgery on patients with LCS. Length of inpatient stay (LOS) was analysed using cross-sectional Tobit models.

RESULTS: From January-December 2021, 410 patients were recruited, of which 380 completed day 1 follow-up and 358 completed day 30 follow-up. Most (56%) were aged 51-75 and were ASA grade 2 (65.1%), with 13.9% reporting past COVID-19 infection and 11.2% reporting LCS. The most common surgical specialities were urology (38.0%) and colorectal (30.7%). Average day 1 QOR-15 scores were lower (117) than baseline (130). The coefficient measuring the disproportionate impact of operations on patients with LCS was insignificant at 3.19 (95% confidence interval, CI: -6.50-12.9). Average day 30 EQ-5D-5L index scores were slightly lower (0.778) than baseline (0.803) but the disproportionate impact of LCS was insignificant (-0.067, 95% CI: -0.206-0.072). Median LOS was 1 day, and the effect of LCS was insignificant (1.01, 95% CI: -1.40-3.42).

CONCLUSIONS: We found no evidence that LCS adversely affected post-operative recovery. However, we could not rule out an effect as large as -0.170 on the EQ-5D index scale or 3.42 extra inpatient days. Future research could confirm our findings as well as investigating potential longer-term effects on post-operative recovery.