Impact of The COVID-19 Pandemic on Salivary Gland-related Healthcare Interventions; A Systematic Review And Meta-analysis

Authors

  • Myle Akshay Kiran 1-Department of Scientific Clinical Research and Pharmacology, Hospital and Health care Administration, Acharya Nagarjuna University, India /2-General and Alternative Medicine, National Institute of Medical Science, Pratista, Andhra Pradesh, India /3-Ceo of Medsravts in Education and Clinical research, Andhra Pradesh, India
  • Safa Saeed College of Dentistry, King Saud Bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
  • Abeer Bin Nafisah College of Dentistry, King Saud Bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
  • Abdulaziz Alqarni College of Dentistry, King Saud Bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
  • Atheer Haif Alotaibi College of Dentistry, King Saud Bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
  • Abdulaziz Saleh Alqahtani College of Dentistry, King Saud Bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
  • Hend Aljadaan College of Dentistry, King Saud Bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
  • Haya Bin Osayl College of Dentistry, King Saud Bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
  • Maha Alsane College of Dentistry, King Saud Bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
  • Norah Alsuhail College of Dentistry, King Saud Bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
  • Nouf Alrawaf College of Dentistry, King Saud Bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
  • Raghad Sanad Albalawi College of Dentistry, University of Jordan, Tabuk, Saudi Arabia
  • Samar Ayed Alanazi College of Dentistry, King Saud Bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
  • Raneem Aloufi College of Dentistry, King Saud Bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.31661/gmj.vi.3970

Keywords:

SARS-Cov-2; Salivary Gland Surgery; Perioperative COVID-19; Surgical Outcomes; Omicron Variant; Systematic Review; Meta-Analysis

Abstract

Abstract

Background: The emergence of SARS-CoV-2 variants has raised concerns regarding their potential impact on perioperative outcomes. Its effect on patients undergoing surgery for salivary gland diseases remains unclear. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on salivary gland-related healthcare interventions, including cancer treatments, sialendoscopy procedures, and parotid surgery outcomes. Materials and Methods: Following PRISMA guidelines, a systematic search was conducted in PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science (2019–2025) for studies reporting pre- and during-COVID data. Two reviewers independently screened records, extracted data, and assessed risk of bias using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. A random-effects meta-analysis was performed to pool odds ratios (ORs) for intervention outcomes. Results: Four studies (n=7,740 participants) were included. The pooled OR for salivary gland interventions during versus pre-COVID was 1.08 (95% CI: 0.88–1.33, P=0.45), indicating no significant change, with moderate heterogeneity (I²=46%). Subgroup analyses revealed increased odds of wound dehiscence post-parotid surgery (OR=4.40, 95% CI: 1.18–16.40) but no significant differences in delayed cancer diagnosis or urgent sialendoscopy. Conclusion: The COVID-19 pandemic did not significantly alter overall salivary gland intervention rates or adverse events, though some procedural complications increased non-significantly. Limited evidence underscores the need for larger, standardized studies. While this shows that surgeons maintained quality of practice in this era during the COVID-19.

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Published

2025-07-29

How to Cite

Kiran, M. A., Saeed, S., Bin Nafisah , A., Alqarni, A., Haif Alotaibi, A., Saleh Alqahtani , A., … Aloufi , R. (2025). Impact of The COVID-19 Pandemic on Salivary Gland-related Healthcare Interventions; A Systematic Review And Meta-analysis. Galen Medical Journal, e3970. https://doi.org/10.31661/gmj.vi.3970

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