Background: Endocrine surgery is a specialty that is evolving constantly. In this study, we sought to delineate the practice patterns of surgeons taking care of endocrine diseases in present-day academic centers.
Methods: A review of the Faculty Practice Solutions Center database was conducted for the years 2005, 2009, and 2013. Practice patterns were determined by International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision and Current Procedural Terminology codes, and analyzed for practice composition, regional variability, and volume of endocrine operations.
Results: Of 97 national academic centers, 52 were identified to have 120 practicing American Association of Endocrine Surgeons (AAES) surgeons in the study. On average, endocrine operations comprise ∼65% of the AAES surgeon's practice, and 51% are considered high-volume surgeons for thyroidectomy, parathyroidectomy, and adrenalectomy. Most non-AAES surgeons who perform endocrine operations are otolaryngologists (24.5%) and other general surgeons (18.5%). Overall, non-AAES surgeons perform the majority of endocrine operations at academic institutions (61.6%), and low-volume surgeons perform most of these operations (55.6%).
Conclusion: Research has shown that high-volume surgeons have improved outcomes. Even in academia, however, the majority of endocrine operations are performed by low-volume surgeons, suggesting that there is an opportunity for expanding the number of surgeons with expertise in endocrine surgery in present-day academic centers.
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