Methods
This is a retrospective observational study performed in two cardiac
surgery departments in Israel: the Leviev Heart Center, Sheba Medical
Center, Tel Hashomer, the largest tertiary hospital in Israel, located
in the center of the country, and the Baruch Padeh Medical Center,
Poriya, which is located in the north of the country.
All patients undergoing cardiac surgery between March 1 and April 30
during the years 2019 and 2020 were included in the cohort. No exclusion
criteria applied. The patients were divided into two groups based on the
year in which they underwent surgery. The decision to investigate
specifically March and April was based on the fact that the strict
limitations came into force at the beginning of March and continued
throughout those two months.
A careful analysis of the patients’ baseline characteristics, operative
data, and postoperative outcomes, was performed by two separate
researchers. The data reviewed included hospitalization records,
outpatient clinic visits, and the records of local and referring
physicians. Throughout the study period, all procedures were performed
and completed by the same surgical and anesthesiology teams.