Volume-Outcome Relationship in Endocrine Surgery

There is a wealth of published evidence linking surgeon volume and disease outcome, with high-volume surgeons achieving lower mortality, shorter hospital stays, and fewer complications across a number of surgical specialties. Explanations for this effect include “practice makes perfect” and “selective referral” theories. This has influenced clinical practice, with more specialization and high-risk procedures being increasingly undertaken by high-volume surgeons. Improved outcomes in high-volume surgeons are also seen in endocrine surgery, with fewer complications, decreased length of stay and reduced hospital charges. This chapter aims to summarize the current data regarding the surgeon’s volume-outcome relationship for thyroidectomy, parathyroidectomy and adrenalectomy.