[Distribution of colonic surgery among surgeons in the city of Copenhagen].
BACKGROUND
The outcome of some surgical procedures is related to the surgeon's experience. We examined how much experience surgeons in 12 hospitals in the region of Copenhagen gained in colon surgery in 1999.


METHODS
The Ministry of Health identified the number of colon patients operated on in the region of Copenhagen in 1999. The departments were asked to validate the lists of patients and to fill in a questionnaire describing the surgeon's experience in that year.


RESULTS
Eleven of 12 departments answered the questionnaire (92%). One hundred and two senior surgeons operated on 674 patients. Forty of the surgeons operated on one to four patients in 1999, and only five performed 15 or more operations. More than 50% of the surgical procedures were carried out by surgeons who performed fewer than 10 colon operations in 1999. Most of the low-volume surgeons' operations were performed during calls.


CONCLUSIONS
Colon surgery in the region of Copenhagen was performed by a large number of surgeons in many hospitals in 1999. Hospital volume was not associated with surgeon volume.
Birk
Hans Okkels
HO
Viborg-Kjellerup Sygehus, organkirurgisk afdeling.
Jønler
Morten
M
Jensen
Leif Panduro
LP
Knudsen
Janne Lehmann
JL
Moesgaard
Flemming
F
Frimodt-Møller
Cai
C
D002983:Clinical Competence; D003108:Colonic Diseases / Q000601:surgery*; D003107:Colorectal Surgery / Q000592:standards* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003718:Denmark; D017558:Elective Surgical Procedures / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004630:Emergencies; D006801:Humans; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013503:Surgery Department, Hospital / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires