Frequency with which surgeons undertake pancreaticoduodenectomy determines length of stay, hospital charges, and in-hospital mortality.

Others have suggested that in certain technically challenging operations, outcome and experience are related. Because pancreaticoduodenectomy is a technically complex procedure, this study was undertaken to evaluate mortality, length of hospital stay, and hospital charges when compared to volume of experience. The database of the State of Florida Agency for Health Care Administration was queried for pancreaticoduodenectomies undertaken during a recent 33-month period. Length of stay, hospital charges, and in-hospital mortality were stratified by the frequency of pancreaticoduodenectomy. A total of 282 surgeons performed 698 pancreaticoduodenectomies over 33 months. Eighty-nine percent of surgeons performed one pancreaticoduodenectomy per year or less and accounted for 52% of the procedures. Overall mortality rate was 5.1%. Average hospital charges were $72,171.64. The more frequently pancreaticoduodenectomy was undertaken, the shorter the hospital stay (P = 0.025, regression analysis) and the lower the hospital charges (P = 0.008, regression analysis) and in-hospital mortality (P = 0.036, log likelihood ratio test). Surgeons who undertake pancreaticoduodenectomy more frequently have patients with shorter hospital stays, lower hospital charges, and lower in-hospital mortality rates, independent of hospital volume. Variations exist among surgeons and among different areas of the state. Data regarding cost and mortality are available for use in programs of cost and quality improvement.