Findings from a study published in the July issue of the Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery suggest that low surgeon volume may be linked to increased surgical complications, length of stay, surgical time, and surgical cost for patients who undergo shoulder arthroplasty and rotator cuff repair. 

The researchers conducted a systematic review of 10 studies covering 88,740 shoulder arthroplasties and 63,535 rotator cuff repairs. For arthroplasty, they found that fewer than 5 cases per year met the criteria for a low-volume surgeon and the cases were associated with increased length of stay, longer operating room time, increased in-hospital complications, and increased cost, but no significant increase in mortality. For rotator cuff surgery, fewer than 12 surgeries per year met the criteria for low volume, and were associated with increased length of stay, increased operating room time, and increased in reoperation rates. Learn more...