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Article History

Received: 3 January 2026

Accepted: 26 February 2026

First Online: 10 March 2026

Declarations

:

: The Ethics Committee of the Lower Saxony Medical Association gave a positive vote for the retrospective evaluation of the anonymised intervention data (statement by the Ethics Subcommittee of the Lower Saxony Medical Association dated 12 January 2017): In the opinion of the Subcommittee for the Assessment of Medical Research Involving Human Subjects of the Ethics Committee at the Medical Association of Lower Saxony (ÄKN), the retrospective data evaluation planned by us is not a research project in which the psychological or physical integrity of a human being is interfered with or body materials or data are used that can be assigned to a specific human being. The study has been performed in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki. All methods were carried out in accordance with relevant guidelines and regulations in the declaration.

: Not applicable.

: Waived by an ethics committee: “Provided that the personal patient data do not leave the circle of physicians who are obliged to remain silent anyway and who are involved in the treatment of the patient, including auxiliary staff, consultation with the ethics committee in accordance with § 15 of the professional regulations of the ÄKN is therefore not necessary. We strictly adhered to all provisions.”

: The authors declare no competing interests.