Theoretical surgery: a new specialty in operative medicine

Theoretical surgery is defined as a nonoperative decision analysis and clinical and basic research supporting system for surgery. It developed to meet the needs of academic surgeons to coordinate communication with basic science disciplines. This article summarizes the development of this idea at the University of Marburg where theoretical surgery has reached departmental and institutional proportions. Its objectives and methods are described. Central to its operation are permanent working teams of 2 clinical surgeons, 1 basic scientist (theoretical surgeon), 1-2 technicians, and 1-2 students focusing on one problem in a joint interdisciplinary manner. Decision analysis with classification methods and the creation of decision trees and algorithms are central to the operation of this experiment. Lessons learned from this academic experiment and the accomplishments during the past 20 years are summarized on 3 levels of efficacy: performance, changing strategies, and outcome.