The surgeon as a prognostic factor after the introduction of total mesorectal excision in the treatment of rectal cancer (original) (raw)

2002, British Journal of Surgery

Background With conventional blunt surgical resection of rectal cancer, local recurrence rates are high and the individual surgeon putatively influences patient outcome. With total mesorectal excision (TME) local recurrence rates have been reduced and intersurgeon variability may be less important. The ‘TME project’ was a collaborative project that included surgical workshops in Stockholm between 1994 and 1997. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of the project on the practice of rectal cancer surgery in Stockholm and to analyse whether surgeon case volume and participation in the workshops influenced patient outcome. Methods All 652 patients who had an abdominal resection for rectal cancer in Stockholm between 1995 and 1997 were included. Outcome was compared in patients operated on by teams that included high-volume surgeons (more than 12 operations per year) with teams that included low-volume surgeons (12 operations or fewer per year), as well as between teams that in...

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