Why the study?
Does higher individual surgeon volume improve mitral repair rates, freedom from reoperation, and survival in patients with degenerative mitral valve disease?
Does higher individual surgeon volume improve mitral repair rates, freedom from reoperation, and survival in patients with degenerative mitral valve disease?
Higher individual surgeon volume is associated with improved repair rates, durability, and survival in degenerative mitral valve disease, supporting guideline recommendations for referral to experienced surgeons.
Supports referral to high-volume mitral surgeons; extends observational volume-outcome data but leaves practice change open.
This study suggests that individual surgeon volume is a determinant of not only mitral repair rates, but also freedom from reoperation, and survival. The data from this study support the guideline's concept of reference referral to experienced mitral surgeons to improve outcomes in patients with degenerative mitral valve disease.
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Chikwe et al. (2017) studied this question.
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