Trainee performance in radical gastrectomy and its effect on outcomes

This study aimed to determine whether trainee involvement in D2 gastrectomies was associated with adverse outcomes.

Data from a prospectively created database of consecutive patients undergoing open D2 total (TG) or subtotal (STG) gastrectomy with curative intent between January 2009 and January 2014 were reviewed. Short- and long-term clinical outcomes were compared in patients operated on by consultants and those treated by trainees under consultant supervision.

A total of 272 D2 open gastrectomies were performed, 123 (45·2 per cent) by trainees. There was no significant difference between consultants and trainees in median duration of surgery (TG: 240 (range 102-505) versus 240 (170-375) min respectively, P = 0·452; STG: 225 (150-580) versus 212 (125-380) min, P = 0·192), number of resected nodes (TG: 30 (13-101) versus 30 (11-102), P = 0·681; STG: 26 (5-103) versus 25 (1-63), P = 0·171), length of hospital stay (TG: 15 (7-78) versus 15 (8-65) days, P = 0·981; STG: 10 (6-197) versus 14 (7-85) days, P = 0·242), overall morbidity (TG: 44 versus 49 per cent, P = 0·314; STG: 34 versus 25 per cent, P = 0·113) or mortality (TG: 4 versus 2 per cent; P = 0·293). No difference in predicted 5-year overall survival was noted between the two cohorts (TG: 68 per cent for consultants versus 77 per cent for trainees, P = 0·254; STG: 70 versus 75 per cent respectively, P = 0·512). The trainee cohort had lower median blood loss for both TG (360 (range 90-1200) ml versus 600 (70-2350) ml for consultants; P = 0·042) and STG (235 (50-1000) versus 360 (50-3000) ml respectively; P = 0·053).

Clinical outcomes were not compromised by supervised trainee involvement in D2 open gastrectomy.