title: General Surgery Resident Vascular Operative Experience in the Era of Endovascular Surgery and Vascular Fellowships.
abstract: Advances in endovascular surgery have resulted in a decline in major open arterial reconstructions nationwide. Our objective is to investigate the effect of endovascular surgery on general surgery resident experience with open vascular surgery. Between 2004 and 2014, 112 residents graduated from two academic institutions in Southern California. Residents were separated into those who graduated in 2004 to 2008 (period 1) and in 2009 to 2014 (period 2). Case volumes of vascular procedures were compared using two-sample t test. A total of 43 residents were in period 1 and 59 residents were in period 2. In aggregate, there was no significant difference in open cases recorded between the two periods (84 vs 87, P = 0.194). Subgroup analysis showed period 2 recorded significantly fewer cases of open aneurysm repair (5 vs 3, P < 0.001), cerebrovascular (14 vs 10, P = 0.007), and peripheral obstructive procedures (16 vs 13, P = 0.017). Dialysis access procedures constituted the largest group of procedures and remained similar between the two periods (35 vs 42, P = 0.582). General surgery residents experienced a significant decline in several index open major arterial reconstruction cases. This decline was offset by maintenance of dialysis access procedures. If the trend continues, future general surgeons will not be proficient in open vascular procedures.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Harbor-University of California Los Angeles Medical Center, University of California at Irvine, USA.
authors.forename: Huan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.forename: Steven
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Maximus
authors.forename: Jerry J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Brian
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: Dennis
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Matthew
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Koopmann
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: DeVirgilio
mesh_terms: D002140:California; D002983:Clinical Competence; D004502:Education, Medical, Continuing / Q000379:methods*; D004521:Educational Measurement / Q000379:methods*; D057510:Endovascular Procedures / Q000193:education*; D013502:General Surgery / Q000193:education*; D006801:Humans; D007396:Internship and Residency / Q000379:methods*; D010820:Physicians; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013038:Specialization