Variations in the Incidence of Surgery

Analysis of records of the Kansas Blue Cross Association shows three to four-fold variations in regional rates for the performance of six common surgical procedures. These variations characterize not only tonsillectomy but also procedures with more definitive indications for surgical intervention such as appendectomy and herniorrhaphy. In the consideration of factors that might be associated with variations in rates among regions, the numbers of beds, Board-certified surgeons and other physicians who perform surgery were found to be significant predictors of the incidence of surgery. Fifty-two per cent of these procedures were performed in hospitals of less than 100 beds.