Clinical Scorecard: Impact of Surgeon Experience on Outcomes in Robotic-Assisted Elective and Emergency General Surgery

At a Glance

Key Highlights

• Robotic-assisted surgery adoption increased from 1.8% to 15.1% between 2012 and 2018.
• Shorter postoperative length of stay observed with robotic-assisted compared to laparoscopic surgery.
• Surgeon experience is a key driver of surgical quality and outcomes.
• Higher individual surgeon volume linked to lower readmission and shorter hospital stays.
• Robotic surgery in emergency settings is gaining traction but requires careful implementation.

Guideline-Based Recommendations

Diagnosis

• Use of ICD-10 and CPT codes for procedure identification.

Management

• Surgeon experience and team training emphasized for robotic-assisted procedures.

Monitoring & Follow-up

• Monitor conversion rates to open surgery and postoperative complications.

Risks

• Higher mortality rates associated with low-volume surgeons in complex EGS procedures.

Patient & Prescribing Data

Adults undergoing robotic-assisted cholecystectomy, colectomy, appendectomy, small bowel resection, or ventral hernia repair.

Annual surgeon robotic case volume categorized into low, intermediate, high, and very high.

Clinical Best Practices

• Implement dedicated team training for robotic-assisted surgeries.
• Encourage higher annual case volumes for improved surgical outcomes.
• Utilize comprehensive data analysis for patient and hospital characteristics.

References

• World Society of Emergency Surgery Recommendations
• Premier Healthcare Database
• Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE)