Long-Term Health Effects of Previous COVID-19 in Patients Undergoing Preoperative Anesthesia Evaluation

The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in persistent health problems in a significant proportion of individuals after recovery from the acute infection. These long-term manifestations, commonly referred to as post-COVID condition or long COVID, may involve respiratory, cardiovascular, neurological, psychological, and general health domains. Understanding these sequelae is particularly important in patients undergoing preoperative anesthesia evaluation, as residual symptoms may influence perioperative risk assessment and clinical decision-making. This cross-sectional observational study aims to evaluate the long-term clinical and health effects of previous COVID-19 infection in adult patients presenting to the preoperative anesthesia clinic. Patients aged 18 years and older who report a history of confirmed COVID-19 infection will be included. Clinical data related to the acute infection period (disease severity, hospitalization, intensive care unit admission, oxygen therapy, and radiological findings) will be retrospectively obtained from hospital records. At the time of preoperative assessment, participants will complete a structured post-COVID clinical questionnaire to evaluate persistent symptoms across multiple organ systems. The study seeks to determine the prevalence and characteristics of long-term post-COVID symptoms and to explore potential associations between acute disease severity and ongoing health complaints. No additional medical intervention will be performed as part of this research.