Abstract
Objective: To train practicing surgeons in robot-assisted distal pancreatectomy (RADP) and assess the impact on 5 domains of healthcare quality.
Background: RADP may reduce the treatment burden compared with open distal pancreatectomy (ODP), but studies on institutional training and implementation programs are scarce.
Methods: A retrospective, single-center, cohort study evaluating surgical performance during a procedure-specific training program for RADP (January 2006 to September 2017). Baseline and unadjusted outcomes were compared ''before training'' (ODP only; June 2012). Exclusion criteria were neoadjuvant therapy, vascular- and unrelated organ resection. Run charts evaluated index length of stay (LOS) and 90-day comprehensive complication index. Cumulative sum charts of operating time (OT) assessed institutional learning. Adjusted outcomes after RADP versus ODP were compared using a secondary propensityscore-matched (1:1) analysis to determine clinical efficacy.
Results: After screening, 237 patients were included in the before-training (133 ODP) and after-training (24 ODP, 80 RADP) groups. After initiation of training, mean perioperative blood loss decreased (-255 mL, P 0.05). Over time, there were nonrandom (P < 0.05) downward shifts in LOS, while comprehensive complication index was unaffected. We observed 3 learning curve phases in OT: accumulation (65 cases). Propensity-score-matching confirmed reductions in index and 90-day LOS and blood loss with similar morbidity between RADP and ODP.
Conclusion: Supervised procedure-specific training enabled successful implementation of RADP by practicing surgeons with immediate improvements in length of stay, without adverse effects on safety.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | E18-E27 |
Number of pages | 10 |
Journal | Annals of Surgery |
Volume | 274 |
Issue number | 1 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - Jul 2021 |
Keywords
- cohort study
- comparative effectiveness
- distal pancreatectomy
- laparoscopic surgery
- pancreas
- pancreatic disease
- pancreatic tail
- robotic surgery
- single-center
- surgery
- surgical training
- training program
- LEARNING-CURVE
- NORTH-AMERICA
- SURGERY
- RESECTION
- ADENOCARCINOMA
- IMPLEMENTATION
- PROFICIENCY
- TECHNOLOGY
- EDUCATION
- PARADIGM