einstein (São Paulo). 19/Aug/2025;23:eAO1399.
What happened to the most frequent surgeries performed in the Brazilian Unified Health System during and after the COVID-19 pandemic? An analysis of 2 million procedures
DOI: 10.31744/einstein_journal/2025AO1399
Highlights
■ More than 2 million procedures were analyzed in the public health system from 2019 to 2023.
■ A total of 13 types of procedures were performed across 7 different specialties.
■ A 35% reduction in the total number of surgeries was observed.
■ There was no recovery of surgeries postponed during the pandemic.
ABSTRACT
Objective:
To analyze changes in surgical volume across different specialties in Brazil before, during, and after the COVID-19 pandemic.
Methods:
This descriptive observational study compared surgical volumes for the specialties with the highest number of procedures each year from 2019 to 2023. Data were sourced from the Department of Informatics of the Unified Health System (DATASUS – TabNet).
Results:
A total of 2,117,383 surgical procedures across 13 operation types were analyzed. Between 2019 and 2020, surgical volume declined by 35%, with reductions ranging from -1% to -54% depending on the procedure. Although volumes increased by 2023, this was insufficient to address the backlog of delayed surgeries. Otorhinolaryngology and urology were the most affected specialties, while cholecystectomy saw a net post-pandemic increase.
Conclusion:
The COVID-19 pandemic significantly disrupted all analyzed surgical procedures in Brazilian Public Health System, resulting in a 35% overall decline. Despite partial recovery, the persistent surgical deficit remains a major challenge, reflecting patterns observed internationally.
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