Degree of Specialisation of the Surgeon Influences Lymph Node Yield after Right-Sided Hemicolectomy

Abstract

Aim: To investigate the degree to which specialisation or case-load of the surgeon is associated with the number of lymph nodes isolated from pathology specimens after right-sided hemicolectomy. Method: Data from 6 hospitals with well-defined catchment areas included in the Uppsala/Örebro Regional Oncology Centre Colon Cancer Register 1997-2006 were used to assess 821 patients undergoing right-sided hemicolectomy for stages I-III colon cancer. Factors influencing the lymph node yield were evaluated. Results: A surgeon with colorectal accreditation and a university pathology department were both associated with a significantly higher proportion of patients having 12 or more lymph nodes isolated from surgical specimens after right-sided hemicolectomy in both unadjusted and multivariate analyses. Emergency surgery did not affect the lymph node yield. Conclusion: The degree of specialisation of the surgeon influences the number of lymph nodes isolated from specimens obtained during routine right-sided colon cancer surgery.