[Vascular surgery is steadily increasing in Sweden]

Area of Science:

• Vascular Surgery
• Health Services Research

Background:

• Arterial surgery has seen significant advancements and changes in practice patterns.
• Understanding trends in surgical incidence and distribution is crucial for healthcare planning.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the development and trends in arterial surgery in Sweden between 1980 and 1995.
• To investigate regional variations and shifts in surgical procedure distribution.

Main Methods:

• Utilized questionnaire responses and data from the Swedish Vascular Registry (Swedvasc).
• Analyzed annual incidence of elective and emergency arterial procedures.
• Examined regional differences and hospital-level operation volumes, including carotid artery surgery.

Main Results:

• Overall annual incidence of arterial operations increased significantly, reaching 1,068 per million population by 1995.
• Elective procedures rose from 2,284 to 7,425 annually; emergency procedures increased from 1,619 to 1,951.
• A redistribution of operations from regional to county hospitals was observed, with marked regional disparities in surgical practice.

Conclusions:

• The period 1980-1995 witnessed substantial growth in arterial surgery, alongside significant regional variations.
• A shift in surgical practice location occurred, with implications for access and resource allocation.
• Carotid artery surgery showed considerable regional differences, with low annual volumes at most individual hospitals.