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The optimal numerosity of the referral population of pituitary tumors centers of excellence (PTCOE): A surgical perspective

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Abstract

Surgical experience is of paramount importance to reach therapeutic success and minimize operative complications. In the field of pituitary surgery, this led to the concept of Pituitary Center of Excellence (PTCOE) defined as a center where an interdisciplinary team works in collaboration and where surgeons can be trained appropriately to reach and keep excellence in daily practice. To review the literature to define the optimal referral population size to establish a PTCOE to optimize both training and specific field research. A review of the literature was performed about epidemiology. The time needed to observe 200 cases of PAs in a single PTCOE and to reach the minimal surgical experience threshold (MSET) was calculated for different referral population groups. The time needed to reach MSET decreased as population size increased. We defined a population as the optimal one to be served by a single PTCOE with a single dedicated neurosurgeon. PTCOEs should be established after an analysis of the referral population, number of cases suitable for surgical treatment and number of dedicated neurosurgeons.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Neurosurgery and Gamma-Knife Radiosurgery, San Raffaele Scientific Insitute, Vita-Salute University, Via Olgettina 60, 20132, Milan, Italy

    Pietro Mortini, Gianluca Nocera, Francesca Roncelli & Marco Losa

  2. Division of Endocrinology, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Vita-Salute University, Via Olgettina 60, 20132, Milan, Italy

    Anna Maria Formenti & Andrea Giustina

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  1. Pietro Mortini
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  2. Gianluca Nocera
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Mortini, P., Nocera, G., Roncelli, F. et al. The optimal numerosity of the referral population of pituitary tumors centers of excellence (PTCOE): A surgical perspective. Rev Endocr Metab Disord 21, 527–536 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11154-020-09564-7

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