Nikhil Prasad Fact checked by:Thailand Medical News Team Apr 15, 2026 1 hour, 41 minutes ago
Medical News: A new study has revealed that COVID-19 infection can significantly worsen outcomes for patients undergoing surgery, increasing the risk of death, complications, and even the level of pain experienced during recovery. The findings provide fresh insight into how the virus continues to affect medical care, even as the global emergency phase has passed.
COVID-19 infection significantly increases surgical risks, complications, and postoperative pain levels
Researchers Examine Surgical Risks in COVID-19 Patients
Scientists set out to better understand how COVID-19 impacts patients who undergo surgery and require intensive care afterward. While earlier studies focused mainly on short-term effects, this research explored both complications and pain levels in greater detail.
The study was conducted by researchers from the Second Affiliated Hospital of Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, the Guangxi Key Laboratory of Reproductive Health and Birth Defect Prevention at the Maternal and Child Health Hospital of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, the Guangxi Clinical Research Center for Birth Defects, and the Department of Anesthesiology at the Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University in China.
Study Design and Patient Selection
Researchers analyzed 156 adult patients who were admitted to the intensive care unit after surgery. Among them, 52 patients were infected with COVID-19, while 104 patients without the virus were selected as matched controls based on age, gender, and type of surgery.
Strict inclusion and exclusion criteria were applied to ensure both groups were comparable. This allowed the team to focus on the direct impact of COVID-19 on surgical outcomes.
Higher Death Rates and Serious Complications
One of the most alarming findings was the difference in mortality. Nearly 10 percent of patients with COVID-19 died after surgery, compared to none in the non-infected group. This highlights a substantial increase in surgical risk linked to the virus.
Complications were also more frequent. COVID-19 patients showed significantly higher rates of sepsis, a life-threatening condition caused by infection. They were also more likely to require blood transfusions, suggesting increased surgical stress or impaired clotting.
Data presented further revealed that these patients experienced more severe organ dysfunction, as reflected by higher clinical scores used to assess illness severity.
Longer ICU Stays and Slower Recovery
Recovery was noticeably more difficult for patients with COVID-19. They required longer periods on mechanical ventilation and spent more time in intensive care units compared to patients without the virus.
Although the overall hospital stay length and treatment costs were similar between the groups, the extended ICU care indicates more serious postoperative challenges and greater strain on healthcare systems.
COVID-19 Also Increases Postoperative Pain
Beyond survival and complicat
ions, the study uncovered another important issue: increased pain.
Patients with COVID-19 reported significantly higher pain scores after surgery. On average, pain levels were about 1.5 points higher on a standard 10-point scale compared to those without infection. This
Medical News report highlights that this increase remained consistent even after adjusting for factors such as age, weight, underlying health conditions, and type of surgery.
Interestingly, whether the infection occurred before or after surgery did not significantly change the pain outcome, suggesting that COVID-19 itself plays a central role in amplifying pain perception.
Why the Virus Makes Recovery Worse
Researchers believe several biological mechanisms may explain these findings. COVID-19 is known to trigger widespread inflammation and abnormal blood clotting, both of which can interfere with healing and increase complications. The virus may also affect the nervous system, making patients more sensitive to pain. At the same time, weakened immune defenses can raise the risk of infections such as sepsis, further complicating recovery.
Implications for Surgical Care
The findings suggest that COVID-19 remains an important risk factor for surgical patients. Doctors may need to carefully evaluate whether surgery can be delayed in infected individuals and adopt more aggressive monitoring strategies when procedures cannot be postponed.
Improved pain management, closer observation in intensive care, and personalized treatment plans may help reduce risks and improve outcomes.
Conclusion
This study clearly demonstrates that COVID-19 infection is associated with significantly worse surgical outcomes, including a higher risk of death, increased complications such as sepsis, prolonged ICU stays, and notably elevated postoperative pain levels. The consistency of these findings across multiple analyses strengthens their reliability, even though the study design cannot prove direct causation. These results highlight an urgent need for more cautious surgical planning, enhanced perioperative care, and targeted pain management strategies for patients with COVID-19. As healthcare systems continue to adapt, prioritizing patient safety in this vulnerable group remains critical to reducing preventable complications and improving recovery outcomes.
The study findings were published in the peer reviewed journal: PLOS One.
https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0344211
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https://www.thailandmedical.news/articles/coronavirus
https://www.thailandmedical.news/articles/long-covid
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