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Surgical centers and hospitals should monitor surgeon performance more closely as they inch closer to retirement age, according to a recent study published in the Annals of Surgery. Building upon research that shows surgeons hit a “sweet spot” in surgical performance between the ages of 35 and 50, the new study suggests that surgeons also reach a performance plateau.
Researchers say that surgeons who practice for 20 years or more have a higher rate of post-op complications than their younger counterparts. The reasons for the decline in performance are unclear. Experts speculate that “mental fatigue, poorer compliance with evidence based medicine or reduced stress tolerance” could be to blame.
The study’s authors hope the industry will pay closer attention to the surgeon performance plateau and implement policies to keep their patients safe.
Researcher Majd El-Harasis told the British Medical Journal, "We need to ensure that hospitals and surgical departments have mechanisms in place to monitor individual surgical performance and identify areas for potential intervention before any deterioration takes place. We also need more studies comparing learning curves between procedures and specialties."
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