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Evaluation of Variability in Operative Efficiency in Plastic Surgery Procedures
Alexis L Boson, Evan Ross1, Daniel Popp
1From the Division of Plastic Surgery.
Annals of Plastic Surgery
|May 25, 2022
Summary
Plastic surgery operative time management shows preparation is the most variable component. Improving efficiency in surgical preparation enhances patient care value and operating room throughput.
Area of Science:
- Health Services Research
- Surgical Operations Management
- Plastic Surgery Outcomes
Background:
- Rising healthcare costs necessitate evaluating patient value and institutional economic viability.
- Effective operative time management is crucial for optimizing resource allocation in surgical departments.
Purpose of the Study:
- To characterize operative time management in plastic surgery.
- To identify specific areas within the surgical workflow for efficiency improvements.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of 453 plastic surgery cases from a US academic division (Sept 2017-Aug 2018).
- Categorization of operative times into preparation, procedure, exit, and turnover phases.
- Correlation of time components with relative value units (RVUs) to assess procedure complexity and resource utilization.
Main Results:
- Preparation time (median 34 min, 23% of total) exhibited the most variability (r2=0.19) when normalized to RVUs.
- Procedure time accounted for the largest portion (36%) of total operative time.
- Average work RVUs per OR hour was 7.2.
Conclusions:
- Surgical preparation represents the most variable and a significant component of operative time.
- Enhancing efficiency and reducing variability in surgical preparation can improve healthcare value and operating room throughput.
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