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Gunes M, Ates K, Yalcin B, Akkurt S, Ozen S, Kaya B

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Authors not listed · 2021

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Environmental stressors compound health risks in ways that aren't always immediately apparent until measured systematically.

Plain English Summary

Summary written for general audiences

This study analyzed surgical outcomes for cancer patients before and during the COVID-19 pandemic, comparing 7,402 patients from 50 countries. While pulmonary complication rates remained similar, death rates nearly tripled during the pandemic (from 0.7% to 2.0%), with over half of excess deaths attributed to SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Why This Matters

While this surgical outcomes study doesn't directly address EMF exposure, it highlights a critical principle that applies to all environmental health research: the cumulative burden of multiple stressors on human physiology. Just as COVID-19 created an additional layer of risk that dramatically increased surgical mortality despite similar complication rates, chronic EMF exposure may represent another invisible stressor that compounds other health challenges. The science demonstrates that our bodies don't operate in isolation from environmental factors. When we're already dealing with medical procedures, infections, or other health issues, additional stressors like electromagnetic fields may tip the balance toward worse outcomes. This pandemic study shows how quickly mortality rates can change when a new environmental factor enters the equation, even when healthcare providers are actively trying to select lower-risk patients.

Exposure Information

Specific exposure levels were not quantified in this study.

Cite This Study
Unknown (2021). Gunes M, Ates K, Yalcin B, Akkurt S, Ozen S, Kaya B.
Show BibTeX
@article{gunes_m_ates_k_yalcin_b_akkurt_s_ozen_s_kaya_b_ce2798,
  author = {Unknown},
  title = {Gunes M, Ates K, Yalcin B, Akkurt S, Ozen S, Kaya B},
  year = {2021},
  doi = {10.1093/bjs/znab336},
  
}
DOI: 10.1093/bjs/znab336PubMed: 34871379

Quick Questions About This Study

Yes, death rates nearly tripled from 0.7% before the pandemic to 2.0% during COVID-19, despite similar pulmonary complication rates and potentially better patient selection during the pandemic period.
Mediation analysis estimated that 54.8% of excess postoperative deaths during the pandemic were directly attributable to SARS-CoV-2 infection, representing a significant portion of increased mortality.
The study included 7,402 patients from 50 countries, making it one of the largest international comparative analyses of surgical outcomes before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The study suggests healthcare providers likely selected patients with lower risk profiles for surgery during the pandemic, but this careful selection did not prevent the increased mortality from COVID-19.
Among patients who had surgery during the pandemic, 4.3% (187 of 4,371) developed postoperative SARS-CoV-2 infection, contributing significantly to the increased mortality rates observed.