Operative Case Volume for Vascular Integrated Residents and Fellows Following the Elective Surgery Shutdown due to COVID-19

Abstract

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, nonemergent surgery was postponed in efforts to limit disease spread. To determine whether these changes affected vascular integrated resident (VR) and fellow (VF) operative volume, Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) case log data was reviewed. Case volume and standard deviation for each major category was for graduates of 2020 and 2021 were compared to the year prior to the pandemic, 2019. There were only 3 significant changes when comparing 2020/2021 to the prepandemic baseline of 2019, with increase in abdominal obstructive cases for VRs (8.1 in 2021 vs 5.9 in 2019, P = .021), an increase in upper extremity cases for VFs (18.9 in 2021 from 15.8 in 2019, P = .029), and a decrease in venous cases for VFs (39.6 in 2021 from 48.4 in 2019, P = .011). Postponing nonemergent surgery did not translate to significant changes in operative cases for graduating VRs and VFs.

Keywords

Vascular surgery resident education surgical education

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References

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services . Non-Emergent, Elective Medical Services, and Treatment Recommendations. Available at: https://www.cms.gov/files/document/cms-non-emergent-elective-medical-recommendations.pdf. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services; Baltimore, MD. Published April 7, 2020

The American Board of Surgery : Modifications to Training Requirements. Available at: https://www.absurgery.org/default.jsp?news_covid19_trainingreq. American Board of Surgery; Philadelphia, PA. Published March 26, 2020.

American College of Surgeons : COVID-19 Guidelines for Triage of Vascular Surgery Patients. Available at: https://www.facs.org/covid-19/clinical-guidance/elective-case/vascular-surgery. AAmerican College of Surgeons; Chicago, IL. Published March 24, 2020.

Sarfati

Griffin

Kraiss

Smith

Brooke

. Vascular surgery triage during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. J Vasc Surg. 2021;73:1858-1868.