Does higher surgeon volume impact surgical outcomes?

Introduction

The relationship between surgeon volume and surgical outcomes has been a topic of significant interest in medical research. Higher surgeon volume is often hypothesized to lead to better patient outcomes due to increased experience and proficiency. This synthesis aims to analyze the impact of higher surgeon volume on surgical outcomes based on multiple research studies.

Key Insights

Improved Outcomes with Higher Surgeon Volume:
- Increased surgeon volume is associated with better health outcomes, including lower mortality rates, fewer complications, and shorter hospital stays .
- Higher surgeon volume leads to improved outcomes in specific surgeries such as total hip arthroplasty, spine surgery, and colorectal cancer surgery .
Volume-Outcome Relationship in Various Specialties:
- In urological cancer surgeries, higher surgeon volume is linked to better long-term morbidity and survival rates.
- For radical prostatectomy, both hospital and surgeon volume significantly impact perioperative, oncologic, and functional outcomes.
Learning Curve and Experience:
- Increased case volume and years of practice are associated with improved surgical performance, with a noted plateau phase where additional experience does not significantly enhance outcomes.
Hospital Volume and Surgeon Volume Synergy:
- The best outcomes are observed in high-volume hospitals with high-volume surgeons, indicating a synergistic effect between hospital and surgeon volume .
Disparities and Access:
- There are disparities in access to high-volume surgeons based on patient race and insurance status, suggesting a need for policy interventions to ensure equitable access.

Conclusion

The evidence strongly supports that higher surgeon volume is associated with better surgical outcomes across various procedures and specialties. This relationship underscores the importance of experience and proficiency in surgical practice. However, disparities in access to high-volume surgeons highlight the need for healthcare policies that promote equitable access to high-quality surgical care.

Does higher surgeon volume impact surgical outcomes?

Summary

Consensus Meter

Introduction

Key Insights

Conclusion

Sources and full results

A systematic review of the impact of volume of surgery and specialization on patient outcome

Surgery volume and surgeon specialization may impact patient outcomes, such as length of hospital stay, mortality, and complication rate.

The influence of volume and experience on individual surgical performance: a systematic review.

Increased surgical case volume and years of practice are associated with improved performance, but performance may deteriorate toward the end of a surgeon's career.

Does Surgeon Volume Affect Outcomes Following Primary Total Hip Arthroplasty? A Systematic Review.

High-volume surgeons tend to have better postoperative outcomes in patients undergoing primary total hip arthroplasty, with shorter stays, lower costs, and lower dislocation rates.

Effects of Surgeon Volume and Hospital Volume on Quality of Care in Hospitals

Higher hospital volume is positively related to better patient outcomes, while a higher proportion of patients operated on by low-volume surgeons is associated with poorer hospital quality.

The impact of provider volume on outcomes from urological cancer therapy.

Higher hospital volume is associated with better outcomes for urological cancer surgeries, but whether volume affects quality or better clinicians and services attract more patients remains a debate.

The impact of surgeon volume on patient outcome in spine surgery: a systematic review

Higher surgeon volume is associated with better outcomes in spine surgery, including lower risk of complications, shorter hospital stays, and reduced readmissions/revisions.

Surgical volume and clinical outcome

Surgical volume is not necessarily associated with improved clinical outcomes, as evidenced by conflicting results in two papers.

A systematic review of the volume-outcome relationship for radical prostatectomy.

Increasing volume in radical prostatectomy improves outcomes, but regionalization may not be practical.

Evolution of the Surgeon-Volume, Patient-Outcome Relationship

High-volume surgeons are associated with improved patient outcomes, but efforts are needed to address disparities based on patient race and insurance status.

Systematic review and a meta-analysis of hospital and surgeon volume/outcome relationships in colorectal cancer surgery.

High volume by surgeon and hospital are associated with better outcomes for colorectal cancer surgery, but the relationship is non-linear and has no clear threshold or ceiling effect.

Try another search