A Surgical Subspecialist Enhances General Surgical Operative Experience

OBJECTIVE: To examine the impact of a surgical subspecialist on residents' operative experience in a mature general surgery training program. METHODS: American Board of Surgery operative experience records were used to examine the impact of a surgical subspecialist on surgical training in a stable residency program. Operations performed as surgeon by residents in their chief and junior years were analyzed 4 years before and 4 years after the addition of this subspecialist to the faculty. Hospital admissions for Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis during these periods were analyzed as well. RESULTS: There was a statistically significant increase in the number of ileal pouch anal anastomoses, ileostomies, small-bowel resections, partial colectomies, and coloanal anastomoses performed by surgical residents after the addition of a colorectal surgical subspecialist. CONCLUSIONS: Subspecialty faculty may favorably influence general surgical training by increasing resident operative experience and patient management skills with procedures characteristic of the subspecialty.