title: A prospective study of the association between surgeon experience and short-term patient outcomes after colorectal surgery.
abstract: Previous papers studying the effect of surgeon experience on patient outcomes after colorectal surgery are hampered by study design, variable measurements of outcome, and have shown conflicting results. The National Surgical Quality Improvement Program is a validated, risk-adjusted, outcomes-based program used to measure the quality of surgical care. Here, we sought to determine the association between colorectal surgeon experience and short-term patient outcomes using a colorectal surgery-specific National Surgical Quality Improvement Program methodology. We prospectively followed 300 patients operated on by eight colorectal surgeons. The median age was 46 years, male:female ratio was 163:137, and median body mass index was 23. Surgeons were divided into two groups: those with less (Group A) than or greater (Group B) than 5 years experience. Procedures were categorized into 137 (46%) major and 163 (54%) minor cases. Group A surgeons operated on 95 (32%) patients and Group B surgeons operated on 205 (68%) patients. Postoperatively, 101 (31%) patients had complications (Group A = 29; Group B = 72). Four (1%) patients had reoperations (Group A = 0; Group B = 4) and 24 (8%) were readmitted (Group A = 5; Group B = 19) within 30 days of surgery. This prospective study revealed no significant difference in short-term outcomes between colorectal surgeons with less than versus more than 5 years experience.
authors.affiliation: Division of Colorectal Surgery, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California, USA.
authors.forename: Ariel J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Ourian
authors.forename: Yosef
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nasseri
authors.forename: Zuri
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Murrell
authors.forename: Bruce
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Gewertz
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Magner
authors.forename: Dror
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Berel
authors.forename: Phillip
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Fleshner
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D002983:Clinical Competence; D003107:Colorectal Surgery / Q000592:standards*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011787:Quality of Health Care; D055815:Young Adult