Minimum number of required operations as an academic surgeon.

[ArrogantSurgeon]

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Once you make it to the attending level as an academic surgeon, what is the minimum number of cases you have to do per month/year? Is it possible to do only 4-8 operation per month (e.g an average of 1-2 per week) and spend the rest of time doing research? Is there a minimum caseload per year required by the ABS for attending surgeons?

 

[Skylizard]

Originally posted by ArrogantSurgeon
Once you make it to the attending level as an academic surgeon, what is the minimum number of cases you have to do per month/year? Is it possible to do only 4-8 operation per month (e.g an average of 1-2 per week) and spend the rest of time doing research? Is there a minimum caseload per year required by the ABS for attending surgeons?

I think you kind of indirectly broached this topic in your part time academic surgeon thread. The answer as usual is that "it depends". If you want to do lumpectomies, sure you can do that. However, you would be very poor at whipples and cardiac surgery (IMHO) taking this approach. I dare say you risk the possibility of NOT being a surgeon at all*. Why would someone go through that much training to do only 4-8 operations/month. The one universal requirement of being a surgeon is that you absolutely must love being in the OR. The OR must be where you shine. If you are barely operating you are barely a surgeon. You do not have to be a surgeon to be doing surgical lab research. Don't do all the work if your real goal is not surgery but rather surgical research. Also, if clinical and NOT basic science research is where your interest is, you need to remember clinical research is about numbers of cases.

Yes there are certain minimums you will need to maintain privileges. This minimum will depend on the types of procedures i.e. lumpectomies vs CABG vs carotids vs lap choles vs lap-"fatties" vs AAA repairs vs etc... There may be a national and/or college minimums. I know there are individual hospital minimums. They may not pay close attention to your numbers if the procedure you are performing is fundamental to the specialty you are board certified. however, once you start having complications, both your colleagues and the hospital will restrict your privileges and give you the choice operate for real or get out of the OR all together. As to giving you numbers, I do not think anyone can give you numbers unless you are specicific as to what type of procedures you are asking about. Are you asking about subcutaneous soft tissue lumpectomies? Are you asking about AAA repair? Are you asking about Lap-chole? Are you asking about congenital heart anomaly repairs? etc...

*If you aren't operating regularly and exploring the anatomy as often as is reasonably possible you will absolutely loose skills.

Originally posted by womansurg
...In my opinion, you cannot be a very effective and facile surgeon under these conditions, and this probably contributes to the stereotype of the academic surgeon as a bumblefud in the OR.......

Originally posted by womansurg
...The data are very clear that the quantitative experience of a particular surgeon for a procedure correlates with quality of outcome...

PS: If the last volley on one of your threads is any indicator, you might want to duck now.

 

[LaCirujana]

One of our VA attendings recently left under "interesting" circumstances. Although there were several significant problems, one of them fits right in with this thread: He devoted a lot of time to research and didn't spend nearly enough in the OR. Pretty soon, the more senior residents wouldn't scrub with him and the juniors had the seniors take them through all of "his" cases. A couple of "last straws" (I am not making these up): he brought an anatomy atlas into the OR and consulted it during a case; he had the circulator get the instructions for a port-a-cath out of the packaging so he could step-by-step his way through the case. He was SCARY! Anyway, this guy was informed that he was welcome to continue with his research, but that he was no longer welcome in the OR, nor would he be allowed to see patients in clinic or on the floor. He elected to leave, rather than be fired (which was on the horizon).

Just something to think about.