Medical Malpractice Involvement Amongst Vascular Surgeons: Demographic Associations, Clinical Impact, and Personal...

The impact of malpractice litigation on vascular surgeons has rarely been studied. Involvement in malpractice litigation has a deleterious impact on quality of life for physicians. Our study aims to examine the demographics of vascular surgeons involved in litigation and its effects on wellness and practice patterns.

Active SCVS (Society for Clinical Vascular Surgery) members were surveyed regarding involvement in litigation and opinions regarding the current vascular surgery medicolegal environment. Responses were anonymized and data analyzed in the standard statistical fashion (significance with p-value < 0.05).

104 responses were received from active SCVS members. Seventy-two respondents (69%) reported being named in lawsuits. Compared to peers not named in lawsuits, surgeons were more likely to be male (p = 0.02), older than 50 (p < 0.00001), and practicing for greater than 20 years (p = 0.00002). They were more likely to consider retiring early secondary to the medicolegal atmosphere (p = 0.047). Involvement in legal proceedings was associated with burnout symptoms (n = 54, 75%), distraction from patient care (n = 67, 93%), decreased engagement in academic pursuits (n = 40, 56%), and increasing documentation and testing for defensive purposes (n = 42, 58%).

This survey of current SCVS members demonstrates that older surgeons with longer experience are more likely to have been named in lawsuits due to length of practice. We show the concerning impact of litigation on vascular surgeons' well-being, desire to continue practice, engagement in direct patient care, and time-consuming practice of "defensive medicine".