Safety of surgical procedures performed by residents

The outcome of surgical procedures on the gallbladder performed by surgical residents in a university hospital was compared with the outcome of those performed by the attending staff. More than 60% of the operations (643/1084) were done by residents under the direct supervision of the attending surgeon. We found no differences in the rate of technical complications, postoperative morbidity and mortality, or length of hospitalization between the two groups. Thus, resident surgery under appropriate guidance is safe and does not compromise the quality of patient care or operative outcome.