Surgeon Volume and XXXX Esophagectomy, Gastrectomy, and Pancreatectomy: A Population-based Study in England.

@entity5 @entity1 @entity788
OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to assess whether there is a proficiency curve-like relationship between surgeon volume and operative mortality and determine the minimum surgeon volume for optimum operative mortality. BACKGROUND: The inverse relationship between hospital volume and operative mortality is well-established for esophageal, gastric, and @entity788 . The recommended minimum surgeon volumes are however uncertain. METHODS: We retrieved data on esophagectomies, gastrectomies, and pancreatectomies for @entity5 from the NHS Hospital Episodes Statistics database from April 2000 to March 2010. We defined mortality as in-hospital death within 30 days of surgery. We determined whether there was a proficiency curve relationship by inspecting surgeon volume-mortality graphs after adjusting for @entity1 age, sex, socioeconomic, and comorbidity indices. We then statistically determined the minimum surgeon volume that produced a mortality rate insignificantly different from the optimum of the curve. RESULTS: Sixteen thousand five hundred seventy-two esophagectomies, 12,622 gastrectomies, and 9116 pancreatectomies were examined. Surgeon volume ranged from 2 to 29 esophagectomies, from 1 to 14 gastrectomies, and from 2 to 31 pancreatectomies per surgeon per year. We demonstrated a proficiency relationship between surgeon volume and mortality in esophageal, gastric, and @entity788 surgery. Each additional case of esophagectomy, gastrectomy, and pancreatectomy would reduce 30-day mortality odds by 3.4%, 7.2%, and 4.1%, respectively. However, as surgeon volume increased, mortality rate continued to improve. Therefore, we were unable to recommend minimum surgeon volume. CONCLUSIONS: Mortality after resections for esophageal, gastric, and @entity788 falls as surgeon volume rises up to 30 cases. Within this range, we did not demonstrate any statistical threshold that could be recommended as a minimum volume target.
