A surgical subspecialist enhances general surgical operative experience
S. Galandiuk
Department of Surgery, University of Louisville School of Medicine, Ky., USA.
OBJECTIVE: To examine the impact of a surgical subspecialist on residents'
operative experience in a mature general surgery training program. METHODS:
American Board of Surgery operative experience records were used to examine
the impact of a surgical subspecialist on surgical training in a stable
residency program. Operations performed as surgeon by residents in their
chief and junior years were analyzed 4 years before and 4 years after the
addition of this subspecialist to the faculty. Hospital admissions for
Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis during these periods were analyzed
as well. RESULTS: There was a statistically significant increase in the
number of ileal pouch anal anastomoses, ileostomies, small-bowel
resections, partial colectomies, and coloanal anastomoses performed by
surgical residents after the addition of a colorectal surgical
subspecialist. CONCLUSIONS: Subspecialty faculty may favorably influence
general surgical training by increasing resident operative experience and
patient management skills with procedures characteristic of the
subspecialty.
