Surgical Outcomes for Laparoscopic Hysterectomy Based on Surgeon Gender

Abstract

<h3>Study Objective</h3> To compare surgical outcomes for laparoscopic hysterectomy between male and female gynecologic surgeons. <h3>Design</h3> Retrospective comparative cohort study. <h3>Setting</h3> Single-site academic tertiary care medical center. <h3>Patients or Participants</h3> A total of 494 women age >18 years old who underwent laparoscopic (either conventional or robotic) hysterectomy for benign indications between January 2019 and December 2020. <h3>Interventions</h3> A total of 560 laparoscopic hysterectomies were performed by 24 surgeons, which included 244 cases by 14 female surgeons and 316 cases by 10 male surgeons. Surgical outcomes were analyzed between the two genders. <h3>Measurements and Main Results</h3> Female surgeons performed significantly more traditional laparoscopic hysterectomies, while male surgeons performed more robotic hysterectomies. No statistically significant differences in the primary outcomes of hospital readmission rates, surgical complications, and postoperative complications were noted between the two groups. Also, no significant differences were noted in length of surgery, length of hospital stay, estimated blood loss, conversion to other surgical approach, emergency department visits in first 60 days, and 30-day mortality. Surgeon characteristics, such as sub-specialty, surgical volume, years since residency, and practice setting were obtained and controlled for. <h3>Conclusion</h3> Female and male gynecologic surgeons have equivalent surgical outcomes, suggesting they are equally capable of providing patients with high-quality surgical management. This is the first study to analyze the impact of surgeon gender on patient outcomes in gynecologic surgery.