Elective surgical rates--do high rates mean lower standards? Tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy in Manitoba

We used claims data from the Canadian province of Manitoba to test alternative explanations for regional differences in tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy rates. Respiratory morbidity, standards of selection for operation, and surgical resources were compared with elective surgical rates across geographic areas. Statistically significant correlations were not found. Individual practice patterns were then examined. In some regions, a few physicians accounted for the great majority of tonsil/adenoid operations. In other regions, the work was much more widely distributed. Despite great variation among individual physicians in the frequency of performing tonsil/adenoid operations and the standards of selection for operation, use of these procedures and standards applied were only weakly related to such variables as physician age, place of training and specialty.