Study: Practice of overlapping colorectal surgical procedures is safe

Editor's Note

In this study, overlapping surgery in a tertiary care colorectal surgery practice was found to be safe and not linked to adverse patient outcomes.

Of 1,270 patients having inpatient colorectal surgery at the Mayo Clinic, between 2012 and 2015, overlapping surgery occurred in 576 patients.

Overall adverse events were significantly less likely in patients having overlapping surgery compared with those who did not (18.4% vs 23.6%).

The safety of overlapping surgery on outcomes was assessed in this study using multiple multivariable models including a model that controlled for the effect of the individual surgeon.