Experienced vs. new surgeons: No difference in patient mortality rates

A study published in the Journal of the American Statistical Association has found that there is no significant statistical variation in the patient mortality rates of new surgeons in comparison to experienced surgeons.

The researchers examined 130,106 patients operated on in 498 hospitals over a two-year period. Two groups, 6,260 surgical patients in each, were created through a matching process to ensure accurate comparison of clinical outcomes.

The study found the patient mortality rate for new surgeons was 3.71 percent (232 deaths out of 2,260 procedures) and 3.59 percent for experience surgeons (225 deaths out of 6,260 surgeries).

"It is reassuring that new surgeons were able to achieve similar mortality rates to experienced surgeons when caring for similar patients. However, mortality is a relatively rare event that may not expose the benefits of experience," said study author Rachel R. Kelz, MD. "Therefore, future studies focused on additional outcomes are needed to ensure that new surgeon training and transition to independent practice are appropriately structured to meet the surgical needs of the public."

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