A new study published in Spine examines the impact residents have on spinal fusion for adult spinal deformity patients.
The researchers examined data from the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program. The patients were separated into propensity score matched groups that included patients with resident involvement and patients without resident involvement.
The researchers found resident involvement was a predictor of:
1. Overall morbidity
2. Wound complication
3. Intraoperative and postoperative transfusion
4. Length of stay fewer than five days
The resident involvement wasn’t an independent predictor for other complications, including mortality.
“Resident participation was associated with significantly longer operative times,” concluded the study authors. “As a result, higher rate of certain morbidity, but not mortality, was found, specifically for complications that have been previously associated with long operative duration.”