Association Between Anesthesiologist Sex and Patients' Postoperative Outcomes: A Population-based Cohort Study

Area of Science:

• Anesthesiology
• Health Services Research
• Patient Outcomes

Background:

• Existing research indicates surgeon sex influences patient outcomes, with female surgeons associated with better results.
• The impact of anesthesiologist sex on postoperative patient outcomes remains largely unexplored.
• This study investigates a potential link between anesthesiologist demographics and surgical recovery.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine if anesthesiologist sex is associated with postoperative patient outcomes.
• To analyze the relationship between anesthesiologist sex and adverse events within 30 days of surgery.
• To contribute to the understanding of physician-specific factors influencing surgical recovery.

Main Methods:

• Population-based retrospective cohort study in Ontario, Canada (2007-2019).
• Included adult patients undergoing common surgical procedures.
• Assessed association between anesthesiologist sex and composite endpoint (death, readmission, complication within 30 days) using generalized estimating equations.

Main Results:

• Over 1.1 million patients were analyzed, with data from 1477 anesthesiologists.
• 26.7% of patients received care from a female anesthesiologist.
• Adverse postoperative outcomes were marginally higher for patients treated by male anesthesiologists (10.6%) compared to female anesthesiologists (10.4%; aOR 1.02, P=0.048).

Conclusions:

• A significant association exists between anesthesiologist sex and short-term postoperative outcomes.
• Findings align with literature suggesting improved patient outcomes with female practitioners.
• Further research is needed to elucidate the mechanisms behind these observed outcome differences.