Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on surgery for benign diseases in gynecology: A nationwide survey by the Japan Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology

Aim: This study aimed to clarify the impact of coronavirus disease 2019 on gynecology practice in Japan, in particular, on surgeries for benign gynecological diseases. Methods: An online questionnaire was distributed to 966 facilities in Japan, including core facilities, facilities participating in perinatal and gynecologic oncology registries, and facilities certified for training by the Japanese Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology Endoscopy. The number of surgeries performed was compared between 2019 and 2020, when the novel coronavirus disease was prevalent. Results: Five hundred and eighty (58.2%) facilities responded. The total number of surgeries decreased from 129 648 in 2019 to 118 565 in 2020, by 8.5%, for all surgical procedures. However, there was a clear increase in the number of robotic surgeries performed in 2020 compared to that in 2019 for all populations. The number of total hysterectomies decreased markedly from 15 385 in 2019 to 12 531 in 2020, a fall of 10.1%. Conclusions: The number of surgeries for benign gynecological diseases decreased by 8.5% in 2020 compared to that in 2019. This value is among the lowest in the world.