How many surgeons does a province need, and how do we determine appropriate numbers?

The study compared each province's supply of surgeons in three specialities (ophthalmologists--orthopedic--surgeons, and cardiac and thoracic surgeons) with the rates of key procedures (cataract removal, hip and knee replacement, and coronary artery bypass) that residents received. We found little or no relationship between the supply of surgeons and a population's surgery rate. We conclude that the supply of surgical specialists is the wrong focus for health care resource planning.