Residency Exposure to URPS (Urogynecology and Reconstructive Pelvic Surgery)‐Trained Attendings Increase the Number of Female Pelvic Procedures Performed by General Urologists After Graduation

INTRODUCTION: As the population ages, there is an increasing demand for urologists who specialize in female pelvic surgery. However, 30% of residency programs lack a Urogynecology Reconstructive Pelvic Surgery (URPS)-trained attending, potentially limiting resident exposure. This study evaluated whether the presence of URPS faculty during residency would influence subsequent URPS practice patterns amongst general urologists. METHODS: American Board of Urology case logs (2003-2023) were analyzed for general urologists aged ≤ 40 who graduated after 2013. Residency programs were assessed for URPS faculty presence using public databases and direct program contact. Female URPS procedures were identified by CPT codes. RESULTS: A total of 414 general urologists submitted 21 422 cases, including 2372 female URPS procedures. One hundred and eleven urologists without URPS attending in residency submitted 596 URPS cases (mean: 5.37 cases/urologist). Three hundred and three urologists with URPS attending in residency submitted 1776 URPS cases (mean: 5.86 cases/urologist). There was no statistical difference between the two groups in the total number of URPS procedures. Complex female URPS procedures were more likely to be performed by general urologists with URPS faculty during residency (p = 0.02). The most common procedure for both groups was sling (without URPS attending: 282/596, with URPS attending: 753/1776). CONCLUSIONS: General urologists who trained at a residency program that had an URPS attending on faculty were more likely to perform complex female URPS procedures. This finding underscores the potential importance and value of having an URPS attending during residency training for general urologists interested in performing more complex URPS procedures in practice.