Two groundbreaking studies conducted in Canada and Sweden involving over a million patients have shed light on the impact of surgeon gender on patient outcomes. The findings indicate that female surgeons consistently achieve better results compared to their male counterparts, even when accounting for factors such as case complexity, as reported by the Wall Street Journal. The Canadian study, featured in JAMA Surgery, examined nearly 1.2 million patients who underwent surgery between 2007 and 2020. Within 90 days of surgery, 13.9% of patients operated on by male surgeons experienced “adverse post-operative events,” which include death and a range of complications. For patients treated by female surgeons, the rate stood at 12.5%.
The Canadian study also revealed that one year after surgery, patients treated by female surgeons had a significantly lower rate of adverse postoperative events (20.7%) compared to patients under the care of male surgeons (25%), across 25 different procedures, including brain and heart surgery. In addition, the Swedish study published in JAMA Surgery focused on approximately 150,000 patients who underwent gallbladder surgery. It discovered that patients treated by female surgeons experienced “significantly fewer” complications, according to the Guardian. Researchers noted that female surgeons performed at a slower pace, converted to open surgery less frequently in acute care settings, and had shorter hospital stays for their patients.
The Swedish study also found that male surgeons spent an average of eight minutes less than their female counterparts during operations, resulting in complications occurring nearly 30% more often, according to the Journal. My Blohm, the lead author of the Swedish study, suggests that technique and risk-taking may explain these differences, as reported by the Guardian. Angela Jerath, a co-author of the Canadian study, highlights the importance of communication with patients, stating that early problem detection is crucial for saving lives. (Read more surgeons stories.)
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