Evaluating Gender Disparities in Cardiothoracic Surgery Through the Lens of Industry-Surgeon Partnerships

Despite recent progress, significant gender disparities persist in cardiothoracic surgery. Whereas inequalities in compensation, training, research funding, and leadership roles are well-documented, less is known about gender disparities in industry partnerships, which are important for career advancement.

We retrospectively analyzed transactions from the Open Payments Database (OPD) from 2016 to 2022, examining federally reported industry payments to cardiothoracic surgeons. Data were stratified by year, surgeon gender, payment type, and geographic region based on both surgeon practice location and company headquarters.

There were 417,530 transactions, totaling $230,304,205, conducted between 829 companies and 5971 cardiothoracic surgeons over 7 years. Female surgeons, comprising 8.3% of the workforce, accounted for only 2.2% of total transaction dollars. The top 100 earners received 22.7% of transaction dollars, with only 1 female surgeon represented. Female surgeons earned significantly less (median, $1582 vs $3124 for men; P < .001) and participated in fewer transactions (median, 13 vs 29 for men; P < .001). They were underrepresented in consulting and education-related transactions (4.0% vs 5.2% for other categories; P < .001). Regional disparities were notable, with the Midwest showing the largest gender gaps. Although the gender gap narrowed modestly over time, these gains were inconsistent across regions and payment categories.

Female cardiothoracic surgeons engage less with industry in both transaction volume and value, with disparities varying by region and payment type. Sustained efforts are needed to promote equitable access to industry partnerships, which are critical for career advancement and innovation in cardiothoracic surgery.