Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

The Elective Surgery Second Opinion Program.

W R Grafe, C K McSherry, M L Finkel

    Annals of Surgery
    |September 1, 1978
    PubMed
    Summary
    This summary is machine-generated.

    Related Concept Videos

    You might also read

    Related Articles

    Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

    Sort by
    Same author

    Shale gas development and cancer incidence in southwest Pennsylvania.

    Public health·2016
    Same author

    The 'dirty downside' of global sporting events: focus on human trafficking for sexual exploitation.

    Public health·2015
    Same author

    Technic and clinical value of the frog and toad test.

    The Medical world·2014
    Same author

    The implications of unconventional drilling for natural gas: a global public health concern.

    Public health·2013
    Same author

    Trends in birth rates: New York City 1970-1995.

    Journal of community health·2002
    Same author

    Treatment options for the menopausal woman.

    The Nurse practitioner·2001
    Same journal

    The International Medical Graduate Paradox.

    Annals of surgery·2026
    Same journal

    Defining the Incremental Value of Endoscopic Ultrasound in Assessing Pancreatic Cystic Neoplasms.

    Annals of surgery·2026
    Same journal

    Trends in Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery and GLP-1 Receptor Agonist Use Among Adolescents with Severe Obesity.

    Annals of surgery·2026
    Same journal

    The Ambulatory Surgery Center Paradox: Why 60% of Surgeries Occur Where 2% of AI Research Happens.

    Annals of surgery·2026
    Same journal

    Medical Student First Authorship in High-Impact Surgical Journals: Longitudinal Trends and Institutional Concentration, 2000-2025.

    Annals of surgery·2026
    Same journal

    Radial Margin Distance in Perihilar Cholangiocarcinoma: Defining Dual Cutoff Values of 0 and 1 mm.

    Annals of surgery·2026
    See all related articles

    A second opinion program found that 27.6% of proposed surgeries were unnecessary. Orthopedics and gynecology had the highest non-confirmation rates, with common reasons including no pathology or missed medical therapy opportunities.

    Area of Science:

    • Medical research
    • Health services research

    Background:

    • Second opinion programs aim to reduce unnecessary surgeries.
    • Evaluating the efficacy of elective surgery second opinions is crucial for healthcare resource optimization.

    Purpose of the Study:

    • To analyze the outcomes of the Cornell Elective Surgery Second Opinion Program.
    • To determine the rate of non-confirmation for proposed elective surgeries across various specialties.

    Main Methods:

    • Retrospective review of 7053 patient cases evaluated between February 1972 and January 1978.
    • Analysis of surgical non-confirmation rates by subspecialty, focusing on general surgery cases.

    Main Results:

    • Overall, 27.6% of proposed elective surgeries were not confirmed.

    Related Experiment Videos

  • Orthopedics and gynecology showed the highest non-confirmation rates.
  • For general surgery (318 patients), 15% of operations were not confirmed, often due to absent pathology or undertreatment with medical therapy.

    • Conclusions:

    • Second surgical opinions can identify a significant proportion of unindicated procedures.
    • Improved utilization of medical therapy and accurate diagnosis are key to avoiding unnecessary surgeries.