The Danish specialist training in vascular surgery

to present the Danish training in vascular surgery compared with other European countries.

analysis of prospectively collected data. Data on number of procedures and supervision was obtained from the Danish Vascular Registry for eighteen trainees (fifteen males, three females) in vascular surgery. Demographic data were obtained by direct contact with the units and from EuReg-Vasc. Vascular surgery has been a mono-specialty in Denmark since 1983.

in 2000 the median age of the 45 Danish vascular specialists was 48 years (IQR 45-54, range 40-58) and at end of training the age of the 18 vascular trainees was 42 years (IQR 40-43, range 38-51). Vascular surgery was confined to eleven vascular units - eight with trainees. All vascular procedures in Denmark, besides a few emergency cases, were performed at these units - all by vascular specialists or trainees. The 18 trainees were on average exposed to more than 400 surgical procedures over the three years - and over 300 of nine vascular index operations. The number of assisted, supervised and independent operations was unevenly distributed, with low numbers of certain index operations for some of the trainees.

the structure of vascular surgery in Denmark as a mono-specialty has almost found its final form. Training is satisfactory overall, but with unacceptable variation among trainees with regard to the number of performed index procedures. A minimum number of index procedures must be defined and logbooks introduced. The relatively short weekly working hours in Denmark is not the prime problem.