To explore the correlation between surgical volume and patient outcomes in laparoscopic cholecystectomy in Sweden.
Approach:
Study Design: Retrospective observational cohort study using data from the GallRiks registry covering over 90% of cholecystectomies in Sweden from 2006 to 2022.
Data Collection: Collected variables included patient demographics, surgical technique, ASA classification, and procedure outcomes.
Analysis Methods: Multivariable logistic regression for complications and linear regression for operation time, stratified by increments of 50 procedures.
Key Findings:
139,010 cholecystectomies performed by 1664 surgeons were analyzed.
Mean operation time decreased with increased surgical volume, from 111 min to 75 min after 800 procedures.
Laparoscopic cholecystectomy was faster than open surgery, with acute cases taking longer than elective cases.
Interpretation:
Limitations:
Study excluded surgeons with 2000 or more procedures prior to data collection.
The formal position of the surgeon was not analyzed, focusing only on accumulated procedure counts.
Conclusion:
Increased surgical volume correlates with reduced operation time in laparoscopic cholecystectomy.
