Impact of resident training on operative time and safety in hemithyroidectomy

Background: The purpose of this study was to present our assessment of the impact of resident participation on operative duration and outcomes after hemithyroidectomy, which may identify opportunities for optimization of educational programs, reduction in cost of healthcare delivery, and maximizing patient safety, while continuing to train a competent physician workforce for the future. Methods: The American College of Surgeons' National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS NSQIP) dataset from 2006 to 2012 identified 13,151 adult patients who underwent hemithyroidectomy. Differences in operative duration, postoperative complications, reoperation, and readmission rates were assessed based on stratification by resident participation in surgery. Results: Compared with operations performed by attending surgeons alone, resident participation with attending supervision prolonged the operative duration by 10.5% (82.5 minutes vs 91.2 minutes; p <.0001). The incidence of readmission and wound complications was higher for patients who underwent surgery with resident participation. Conclusion: Resident participation in hemithyroidectomy may be associated with increased operative duration, higher incidence of wound complications, and readmission.