The Impact of Surgeon Volume on Perioperative Outcomes in Hysterectomy

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES To estimate the effect of surgeon volume on key perioperative outcomes after all modes of hysterectomy. METHODS We performed a review of 1914 hysterectomies performed at a large, academic tertiary-care hospital. Women who underwent abdominal, laparoscopic, vaginal, or robotic hysterectomy for benign non-obstetric indications in 2006, 2009, and 2010 were included. RESULTS Gynecologic surgeons were categorized according their average annual hysterectomy case volume: low volume (<11 cases per year), intermediate volume (11-50 cases per year), and high-volume (>51 cases per year). Taking all modes of hysterectomy together, surgeries performed by high-volume surgeons required a shorter operative time (155.11 minutes vs 199.19 -203.35 minutes, P<.001) and resulted in less estimated blood loss compared with low- and intermediate-volume surgeons (161.09 mL vs 205.58 -237.96 mL, P<.001). The 3 surgical volume groups did not differ from each other significantly in the conversion to laparotomy, readmission rate, or incidence of intraoperative or postoperative complications. These findings were maintained when subgroup analyses were performed by type of hysterectomy, with few exceptions. In the subgroup of vaginal hysterectomies by intermediate-volume surgeons, there were slightly more postoperative complications. There were fewer intraoperative complications in laparoscopic/robotic hysterectomies performed by high-volume surgeons, though not statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS Hysterectomies performed by high-volume surgeons at our institution during the 3-year study period were associated with shorter operative times and less estimated blood loss.