Impact of Surgeon’s Experience on Surgical Outcomes in Colorectal Surgery

Abstract

To investigate the influence of surgeon’s experience on outcome among patients undergoing colectomy for benign and malignant diseases. Using medical record folders in this single center retrospective study, we analyzed operative morbidity and mortality in patients undergoing surgery either for colon cancer or diverticulitis between January 1, 2008, and June 30, 2015. Surgeons were divided into three groups: A (surgical experience < 10 years), B (surgical experience 10–20 years), and C (surgical experience > 20 years). Logistic regression analysis was used to assess the relation between experience and outcome. Five hundred twenty-eight colonic resections were performed by group A (12.9%), group B (63.6%), and group C (23.5%), respectively. There were no differences in patient characteristics between the groups. Surgery due to colon cancer was more frequent, and sigmoid colectomy due to diverticulitis was less frequent in group A vs. groups B and C (p < 0.001). Right colectomy was more frequent in group A, whereas patients underwent a higher percentage of sigmoid colectomy in groups B and C (p < 0.001). There was no difference in morbidity, conversion rate, and mortality rate between the groups. Surgeon’s experience was not associated with morbidity and mortality. The results of our study suggest that for colectomies due to both, benign and malignant lesions, years of professional experience are not an important predictor of surgical outcome. However, large bowel resections can also be performed safely by less experienced surgeons without increase in morbidity and mortality.