Background

The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted healthcare systems leading to strict visitor policies, widespread concern for hospital-acquired COVID-19 and significant system wide shortages. The goal of this study was to evaluate the impact of COVID-19 on hospital length of stay (LOS) for patients undergoing elective laparoscopic bariatric surgery. It was hypothesized that LOS would be decreased during the COVID-19 pandemic.Patients undergoing elective bariatric surgery between April 2019 and October 2021 were reviewed retrospectively. COVID-19 admissions were defined as those after March 1, 2020. LOS was categorized as <2 days or >= 2 days. Variables were evaluated for association with LOS by Chi-square, Fisher's exact test, or Student t-test as appropriate. Multivariable logistic regression was done for variables with p<0.200 after bivariable analysis.A total of 212 patients were included with 146 patients undergoing surgery during COVID-19. By univariate analysis, patients with any comorbidity were 3.3x more likely to stay >=2 days and those with complications were 4.2x more likely to stay >=2 days. Patients during the pandemic were 4.3x more likely to stay <2 days. Those patients who were allowed visitors during the pandemic were 2.7x more likely to stay >=2 days. After adjusting for covariates, patients undergoing surgery during the pandemic were 27.7% more likely to go home in less than 2 days.Patients who underwent elective bariatric surgery during COVID-19 had decreased LOS. We plan to expand this study and determine if the change in LOS has any impact on short- and long-term outcomes.