Surgical case review: rationale and methods

Review of all surgical cases is necessary to ensure the proper utilization of surgical treatment. The review process may be simplified by the adoption of indicator criteria which can be used by a designated individual (in some instances, a nonphysician) to screen cases. When carried out carefully and critically, this type of screening surveillance should yield those cases that warrant a serious review by the committee and thus can afford reasonable assurance that surgical services are utilized appropriately. Because the use of indicator criteria to screen procedures for which surgical indications are still evolutionary and controversial may be unwise and unduly provocative, a policy of individual case review should probably be retained for these cases.