A new analysis of data concludes that the more procedures surgeons have performed, the better their patients’ outcomes.

You can read the full article here:

[Study suggests surgeons do get better with experience][1]

Specifically, researchers found that the amount of time the procedures took, the rates of recurrence of the condition, complication rates, requirements for additional blood to be transfused, mortality and stroke rates all improved as the surgeon’s number of past cases increased.

Only two procedures – bilateral reduction mammoplasty and thyroidectomies – showed a plateau where increased experience failed to improve operative outcomes (albeit after 12 and 20 years of experience, respectively).

Finally, the study did show that performance may deteriorate toward the end of a surgeon’s career.

One doctor was quoted as saying “Patients have a right to know how good a surgeon or surgical team is, before deciding to undergo surgery.” While that may certainly be smart for patients considering surgery, under the law in Washington doctors have no duty to disclose information about the surgeon’s experience in providing a surgery.

In the case of *Whiteside v. Lukson*, 89 Wn. App. 109 (1997), the surgeon had taken a two day course on how to remove a gallbladder laparoscopically (through small holes in the abdomen, instead of a large incision opening up the abdomen). He had never performed the procedure on a person before. Prior to performing the surgery on Ms. Whiteside, he discussed the proposed surgery and obtained her informed consent for it. He never told her about his lack of experience.

During the surgery, Dr. Lukson damaged her bile duct, and she suffered complications as a result. Ms. Whiteside brought a lawsuit against Dr. Lukson, arguing both that he was negligent in performing the surgery, and that he failed to get her informed consent because he failed to tell her he had never done the operation before.

The jury did not find that Dr. Lukson was negligent, but did find that he failed to get Ms. Whiteside’s informed consent. However, the trial court overruled the jury’s decision, finding that Dr. Lukson’s inexperience was not a material fact necessary to disclose to a patient prior to surgery. Ms. Whiteside appealed the decision, and the appellate court affirmed the trial court.

[1]: http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/04/02/us-healthcare-quality-surgery-idUSKBN0MT1P920150402 “Study suggests surgeons do get better with experience”