Operative Volumes and Postoperative Outcomes After Elective Resection of Congenital Lung Malformations in Infants

To determine whether hospital-level and surgeon-level operative volumes are associated with differences in postoperative outcomes among infants undergoing elective lung surgery for a congenital lung malformation (CLM).

Infant lung surgery is a relatively uncommon procedure performed by pediatric surgeons nationwide. The relationship between surgical volume and postoperative outcomes remains unknown.

A retrospective cohort study of asymptomatic infants who underwent elective lung resection of a CLM was conducted using the Pediatric Health Information System database (2016-2020). Multivariable linear and Poisson regressions were performed based on annual lung resection tertiles.

There were 1420 infants managed by 48 hospitals and 309 primary surgeons. Institutions that performed 7 or fewer CLM resections per year (56%) were associated with significantly higher postoperative complication rates compared with medium-volume and high-volume hospitals [low: 134 (34%), medium: 110 (21%), high: 144 (29%); P <0.001]. Surgeons who performed one or fewer CLM resections per year (82%) were associated with significantly higher complication rates compared with medium-volume and high-volume surgeons [low: 171 (31%), medium: 75 (26%), high: 119 (24%); P =0.02). Multivariable analyses confirmed that low-volume hospitals were associated with higher complications (OR 1.81, CI: 1.38-2.37; P <0.001), and low-volume surgeons had an increased risk of complications (overall: OR 1.37, CI: 1.01-1.84; P =0.04).

In this cohort study of infants undergoing elective lung resection for a CLM, lower volume providers were associated with higher postoperative patient morbidity. These findings represent an opportunity to inform quality improvement initiatives on pediatric lung resection and the debate on surgical subspecialization for this unique patient population.