Effect of COVID-19-related lockdown on ophthalmic practice in Italy: A report from 39 institutional centers
Authors: dell’Omo Roberto , Filippelli Mariaelena , Virgili Gianni , Bandello Francesco , Querques Giuseppe , Lanzetta Paolo , Avitabile Teresio , Viola Francesco , Reibaldi Michele , Semeraro Francesco , Quaranta Luciano , Rizzo Stanislao , Midena Edoardo , Campagna Giuseppe , Costagliola Ciro , Marolo Paola , Traverso Carlo Enrico , Iester Michele , Cutolo Carlo Alberto , Azzolini Claudio , Donati Simone , Premi Elias , Nucci Paolo , Vujosevic Stela , Staurenghi Giovanni , Bottoni Ferdinando , Romano Francesco , Grosso Domenico , Borrelli Enrico , Sacconi Riccardo , Milella Paolo , Ganci Simone , Romano Mario R. , Ricciardelli Gabriella , Allegrini Davide , Casaluci Marco , Romano Davide , Marchini Giorgio , Chemello Francesca , Amantea Camilla , Frisina Rino , Pilotto Elisabetta , Parrozzani Raffaele , Veritti Daniele , Sarao Valentina , Daniele Tognetto , Busin Massimo , Parmeggiani Francesco , De Nadai Katia , Furiosi Luca , Mastropasqua Rodolfo , Battaglia Bruno , Gironi Matteo , Gandolfi Stefano , Luciani Enrico , Mora Paolo , Schiavi Costantino , Bertaccini Patrizia , Finzi Alessandro , Roda Matilde , Cagini Carlo , Lupidi Marco , Giansanti Fabrizio , Bacherini Daniela , Tosi Gianmarco , De Benedetto Elena , Nardi Marco , Figus Michele , Posarelli Chiara , Mariotti Cesare , Pirani Vittorio , Nicolai Michele , Bonini Stefano , Coassin Marco , Di Zazzo Antonio , Savastano Mariacristina , Savastano Alfonso , Gambini Gloria , Vico Umberto De , Spadea Leopoldo , Iannaccone Andrea , Nucci Carlo , Ricci Federico , Aiello Francesco , Afflitto Gabriele Gallo , Mastropasqua Leonardo , D’Onofio Giada , Evangelista Federica , Brescia Lorenza , Napolitano Pasquale , Polisena Paolo , Gianfrancesco Nicolina , Trivisonno Domenico , Petti Francesco , Simonelli Francesca , Rossi Settimio , Tartaglione Antonio , Rosa Nicola , Bernardo Maddalena De , Iaculli Cristiana , Valeria Bux Anna , Maggiore Giulia , Boscia Francesco , Sborgia Giancarlo , Grassi Maria Oliva , Scorcia Vincenzo , Giannaccare Giuseppe , Parisi Guglielmo , Cillino Salvatore , Alaimo Francesco , Aragona Pasquale , Meduri Alessandro , Pinna Antonio , Sollazzo Andrea , Peiretti Enrico , Siotto Emanuele 
Published: March 2021

Background/objectives: To compare the number of eye surgical procedures performed in Italy in the 2 months following the beginning of lockdown (study period) because of COVID-19 epidemic with those performed in the two earlier months of the same year (intra-year control) and in the period of 2019 corresponding to the lockdown (inter-year control). Methods: Retrospective analysis of surgical procedures carried out at 39 Academic hospitals. A distinction was made between elective and urgent procedures. Intravitreal injections were also considered. Percentages for all surgical procedures and incidence rate ratios (IRR) for rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD) events were calculated. A p value <0.05 was considered significant. Results: A total of 20,886 versus 55,259 and 56,640 patients underwent surgery during the lockdown versus intra-and inter-year control periods, respectively. During the lockdown, only 70% of patients for whom an operation/intravitreal injection was recommended, finally underwent surgery; the remaining patients did not attend because afraid of getting infected at the hospital (23%), taking public transportation (6.5%), or unavailable swabs (0.5%). Elective surgeries were reduced by 96.2% and 96.4%, urgent surgeries by 49.7% and 50.2%, and intravitreal injections by 48.5% and 48.6% in the lockdown period in comparison to intra-year and inter-year control periods, respectively. IRRs for RRDs during lockdown dropped significantly in comparison with intra- and inter-year control periods (CI: 0.65–0.80 and 0.61–0.75, respectively, p < 0.001 for both). Conclusion: This study provides a quantitative analysis of the reduction of eye surgical procedures performed in Italy because of the COVID-19 epidemic.