Impact of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on the number of gastrostomy procedures in Japan

Abstract

【Aim】This study aimed to evaluate the impact of COVID-19 on the number of gastrostomy procedures in Japan.

【Methods】Changes in the number of gastrostomies from fiscal years (FY) 2019 to 2022 were analyzed. Prefecture-level data included: duration of activity restrictions, proportion of the population aged 65 and over, changes in average annual income, number of board-certified fellows of the Japan Gastroenterological Endoscopy Society (JGES) per 100,000 persons aged 65 and over, and number of NST-operating facilities certified by the Japanese Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition Therapy per 100,000 persons aged 65 and over. Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient was used to assess correlations between changes in gastrostomy numbers and the above variables.

【Results】The number of gastrostomies in FY2019, FY2020, FY2021, and FY2022 was 54,513; 53,165; 53,509; and 51,622, respectively. There was a significant positive correlation between the change in procedure numbers from FY2019 to FY2022 and the number of JGES-certified fellows (r＝0.3, p<0.05).

【Conclusion】In Japan, the number of gastrostomy procedures decreased by 5.3 % in FY2022 compared to FY2019.