The Association Between Surgeon-Anesthesiologist Dyad Familiarity and Operative Mortality: A Retrospective Study at a...

Area of Science:

• Cardiothoracic Surgery
• Anesthesiology
• Healthcare Team Dynamics

Background:

• Effective teamwork is critical in high-stakes cardiac surgery.
• Surgeon-anesthesiologist collaboration impacts patient outcomes.
• The effect of dyad familiarity on operative mortality is underexplored.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess if increased surgeon-anesthesiologist familiarity reduces operative mortality.
• To evaluate the association between dyad familiarity and patient outcomes in cardiac surgery.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective, single-center cohort study (July 2011-January 2024).
• Measured surgeon-anesthesiologist dyad familiarity by collaboration frequency (previous 365 days).
• Used logistic mixed-effects models adjusted for patient and procedural factors.

Main Results:

• Higher dyad familiarity correlated with significantly lower operative mortality (P < .001).
• Lowest-familiarity dyads had higher odds of operative mortality (OR, 1.90; P = .001) compared to highest-familiarity dyads.
• Reduced rates of several adverse outcomes observed with higher familiarity, except deep sternal wound infection.

Conclusions:

• Increased surgeon-anesthesiologist familiarity is linked to improved outcomes in cardiac surgery.
• Consistent team collaboration is vital for patient safety and surgical success.
• Further multi-center studies are needed to confirm findings across different settings.