High volume defined by annual number of complex gastrointestinal cancer-related surgery procedures of interest supported by that anesthesiologist in two years before the index surgery<\/p>\n<\/h3>\n
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WEDNESDAY, March 24, 2021 (HealthDay News) — Adults undergoing complex gastrointestinal (GI) cancer surgery have a lower risk for adverse postoperative outcomes when receiving care from high-volume anesthesiologists, according to a study published online March 17 in JAMA Surgery<\/em>.<\/p>\n Julie Hallet, M.D., from the University of Toronto, and colleagues used administrative health care data sets to examine the association between anesthesiologist volume and short-term postoperative outcomes for complex surgery (esophagectomy, pancreatectomy, and hepatectomy) for GI cancer (8,096 patients).<\/p>\n The researchers found that operations were supported by 842 anesthesiologists (median annual volume of three procedures per year) and performed by 186 surgeons. Just over one-quarter of patients (26.7 percent) received care from high-volume anesthesiologists. The primary outcome (a composite of 90-day major morbidity and readmission) occurred in 36.3 percent of patients in the high-volume group and 45.7 percent of patients in the low-volume group. There was an independent association between care by high-volume anesthesiologists and lower odds of the primary outcome (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 0.85; 95 percent confidence interval [CI], 0.76 to 0.94), major morbidity (aOR, 0.83; 95 percent CI, 0.75 to 0.91), and unplanned intensive care unit admission (aOR, 0.84; 95 percent CI, 0.76 to 0.94). However, there were no associations noted between volume and readmission (aOR, 0.87; 95 percent CI, 0.73 to 1.05) or mortality (aOR, 1.05; 95 percent CI, 0.84 to 1.31).<\/p>\n “These findings support organizing perioperative care to increase anesthesiologist volume to optimize patient outcomes,” the authors write.<\/p>\n Two authors disclosed financial ties to the pharmaceutical industry.<\/p>\n Abstract\/Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)<\/a><\/p>\n Editorial (subscription or payment may be required)<\/a><\/p>\n <\/i><\/p>\n