Pyloromyotomy Success Linked to Hospital, Surgeon Volume

Fewer complications, shorter stay linked to higher volume of procedures in infants

WEDNESDAY, Dec. 21 (HealthDay News) -- Surgeons and hospitals with higher volumes generate better results when treating infants with pyloric stenosis, according to a study published in the December issue of the Archives of Surgery.

Daphne P. Ly, M.D., of the Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in New Brunswick, N.J., and colleagues analyzed data from a nationally representative sample of 1,277 infants who underwent pyloromyotomy in 2000. They stratified surgeon and hospital volumes by quintiles and assessed the impact of volume on length of stay, charges and complications.

There was no association between surgeon volume and length of stay or charges. However, higher-volume surgeons had a 90% lower risk of complications compared with surgeons with the lowest volume. A shorter length of stay was associated with higher hospital volume, although hospital volumes had no observable impact on charges or risk of complications.

"Higher surgeon and hospital volumes are associated with better outcome among infants who are treated for pyloric stenosis. Identification of aspects of medical and surgical treatment that account for this finding may lead to improvement in the outcome of infants undergoing pyloromyotomy," the authors conclude.

Abstract
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