Safety of laparoscopic cholecystectomy performed by surgical residents.
Laparoscopic cholecystectomy is being widely performed by surgical residents, but specific outcomes have been poorly investigated. Data from 171 consecutive, unselected patients who underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy performed by surgical residents were collected and matched with an equal number of randomly extracted laparoscopic cholecystectomies performed by experienced senior staff surgeons between 2000 and 2006 at our institution. Demographic data, emergency procedures, cholangiographies, complications and length of stay were not significantly different between the two groups. However, surgical residents performed the operations in less complicated patients (ASA group 3-4 2% vs. 8%, respectively, p = 0.04). Moreover, the median duration of surgery was significantly longer in the resident group (67 vs. 50 minutes, p < 0.001), with fewer additional contemporary procedures (3% vs. 7%, respectively, p = 0.009). This study established that although surgical residents operated on less complex patients with longer operative times, the intraoperative difficulties and main outcomes were the same as for the senior surgeons.
Bencini
Lapo
L
3rd Division of General Surgery, Department of General Medicine and Surgery, Careggi Main Florence University and District Hospital, Florence.
Bernini
Marco
M
Martini
Francesco
F
Rossi
Michele
M
Farsi
Marco
M
Boffi
Bernardo
B
Miranda
Egidio
E
Moraldi
Luca
L
Moretti
Renato
R
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D017081:Cholecystectomy, Laparoscopic / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003625:Data Collection; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007396:Internship and Residency; D007558:Italy; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012449:Safety; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome