Evaluating Educational Outcomes Using Patient Outcomes of New Surgeons Performing Partial Colectomy Compared to Cholecystectomy

Purpose: Despite ongoing efforts to improve surgical education, surgical residents face gaps in their training. However, it is unknown if differences in the training of surgeons are reflected in the patient outcomes of those surgeons once they enter practice. This study aimed to compare the patient outcomes among new surgeons performing partial colectomy—a common procedure for which training is limited—and cholecystectomy—a common procedure for which training is robust. Method: The authors retrospectively analyzed all adult Medicare claims data for patients undergoing inpatient partial colectomy and inpatient cholecystectomy between 2007-2018. Generalized additive mixed models were used to investigate the associations between surgeon years in practice and risk-adjusted rates of 30-day serious complications and death for patients undergoing partial colectomy and cholecystectomy. Results: A total of 14,449 surgeons at 4,011 hospitals performed 340,114 partial colectomy and 355,923 cholecystectomy inpatient operations during the study period. Patients undergoing a partial colectomy by a surgeon in their first vs fifteenth year of practice had higher rates of serious complications (5.22% [95% CI 4.85% to 5.60%] vs 4.37% [95% CI 4.22% to 4.52%]; P < 0.01) and death (3.05% [95% CI 2.92% to 3.17%] vs 2.83% [95% CI 2.75% to 2.91%]; P < 0.01). Patients undergoing a cholecystectomy by a surgeon in their first vs. fifteenth year of practice had similar rates of 30-day serious complications (4.11% vs. 3.89%; P = 0.11) and death (1.71% vs. 1.70%; P = 0.93). Conclusions: Patients undergoing partial colectomy faced a higher risk of serious complications and death when the operation was performed by a new surgeon compared to an experienced surgeon. Conversely, patient outcomes following cholecystectomy were similar for new and experienced surgeons. More attention to partial colectomy during residency training may benefit patients.