Appendectomy in the Training Program of General Surgery: Entrustable Professional Activity?

Area of Science:

• Surgical Education
• General Surgery
• Medical Training

Background:

• Medical specialist training is crucial for healthcare quality.
• Peer education and resident autonomy in simple procedures show promise, especially in general surgery.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate differences in appendectomy outcomes based on surgical team composition.
• To assess the impact of resident involvement in appendectomies at a university center.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of 510 laparoscopic and laparotomy appendectomies over 10 years.
• Surgical teams categorized by experience: consultant-only, senior resident + consultant, junior resident + consultant, and junior resident + senior resident.

Main Results:

• No significant differences in complications, reoperations, readmissions, or surgery duration were observed between teams.
• Younger patients were predominantly operated on by more experienced teams; pediatric appendectomies were mainly performed by consultants.

Conclusions:

• Appendectomy is suitable for peer education, enabling resident skill development and autonomy.
• Varying team experience in appendectomies maintains safe clinical practice standards.