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A surgical subspecialist enhances general surgical operative experience
1Department of Surgery, University of Louisville School of Medicine, Ky., USA.
Objective:
To examine the impact of a surgical subspecialist on residents' operative experience in a mature general surgery training program.
Methods:
American Board of Surgery operative experience records were used to examine the impact of a surgical subspecialist on surgical training in a stable residency program. Operations performed as surgeon by residents in their chief and junior years were analyzed 4 years before and 4 years after the addition of this subspecialist to the faculty. Hospital admissions for Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis during these periods were analyzed as well.
Results:
There was a statistically significant increase in the number of ileal pouch anal anastomoses, ileostomies, small-bowel resections, partial colectomies, and coloanal anastomoses performed by surgical residents after the addition of a colorectal surgical subspecialist.
Conclusions:
Subspecialty faculty may favorably influence general surgical training by increasing resident operative experience and patient management skills with procedures characteristic of the subspecialty.