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| Middle-aged surgeons 'are safest' | Middle-aged surgeons 'are safest' |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| By Michelle Roberts Health reporter, BBC News | By Michelle Roberts Health reporter, BBC News |
| If you are due to have an operation, it might be worth checking the age of your surgeon beforehand, say researchers who claim age influences acumen. | |
| Although inexperience is an obvious disadvantage, having been in the profession for decades is not desirable either, they say. | |
| Middle-aged surgeons in their 40s and late 30s are safest, they suggest. | Middle-aged surgeons in their 40s and late 30s are safest, they suggest. |
| The small study, published at bmj.com, looked at operative complications across five hospitals in France. | The small study, published at bmj.com, looked at operative complications across five hospitals in France. |
| Age over experience | Age over experience |
| This revealed that patients undergoing one surgical procedure - thyroid gland removal - were more likely to have complications when operated on by inexperienced surgeons and those who had been in the job for more than 20 years. | |
| The analysis looked at more than 3,500 of these operations carried out by 28 surgeons. | The analysis looked at more than 3,500 of these operations carried out by 28 surgeons. |
| The researchers chose to look thyroidectomy because the procedure is, generally, carried out in the same way by all surgeons and has not changed substantially over the past few decades. | The researchers chose to look thyroidectomy because the procedure is, generally, carried out in the same way by all surgeons and has not changed substantially over the past few decades. |
| The link they found between a surgeon's age and complication rates was irrespective of how complex the surgical case list was, which suggests it wasn't because the older, more experienced surgeons were seeing the "harder-to-treat" patients. | The link they found between a surgeon's age and complication rates was irrespective of how complex the surgical case list was, which suggests it wasn't because the older, more experienced surgeons were seeing the "harder-to-treat" patients. |
| But experts stress the studies findings are not conclusive and more investigations are needed to ensure surgeons stay on top form. | But experts stress the studies findings are not conclusive and more investigations are needed to ensure surgeons stay on top form. |
| The researchers from the University of Lyon said: "Optimum individual performance in thyroid surgery cannot be passively achieved or maintained by accumulating experience. | |
| "Factors contributing to poor performance in very experienced surgeons should be explored further." | "Factors contributing to poor performance in very experienced surgeons should be explored further." |
| Prof Mike Larvin, of England's Royal College of Surgeons (RCS), said it was important for surgeons to keep honing their skills. | Prof Mike Larvin, of England's Royal College of Surgeons (RCS), said it was important for surgeons to keep honing their skills. |
| "Given the pace of change in medical innovation it is certain that a surgeon at the end of his career will be undertaking a nearly completely different range of operations than at the outset. | "Given the pace of change in medical innovation it is certain that a surgeon at the end of his career will be undertaking a nearly completely different range of operations than at the outset. |
| "This interesting study shows the importance of lifelong learning for surgeons - something the RCS supports by directly running courses for trainees and consultants and quality assuring courses run by others. | "This interesting study shows the importance of lifelong learning for surgeons - something the RCS supports by directly running courses for trainees and consultants and quality assuring courses run by others. |
| "We have also set out requirements for continuing professional development for medical revalidation, a system of regular five-year check-ups on doctor competence, which starts at the end of this year." | "We have also set out requirements for continuing professional development for medical revalidation, a system of regular five-year check-ups on doctor competence, which starts at the end of this year." |