Surgeon and Hospital Factors Associated With Outcomes in the New York State Database.

INTRODUCTION

We sought to explore the relationship between various surgeon-related and hospital-level characteristics and clinical outcomes among patients requiring cardiac surgery.

METHODS

We searched the New York State Cardiac Data Reporting System for all coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) and valve cases between 2015 and 2017. The data were analyzed without dichotomization.

RESULTS

Among CABG/valve surgeons, case volume was positively correlated with years in practice (P = 0.002) and negatively correlated with risk-adjusted mortality ratio (P = 0.014). For CABG and CABG/valve surgeons, our results showed a negative association between teaching status and case volume (P = 0.002, P = 0.018). Among CABG surgeons, hospital teaching status and presence of cardiothoracic surgery residency were inversely associated with risk-adjusted mortality ratio (P = 0.006, P = 0.029).

CONCLUSIONS

There is a complex relationship between case volume, teaching status, and surgical outcomes suggesting that balance between academics and volume is needed.