[Centralisation of vascular surgical treatment provides better results].

The relation between higher hospital and surgeon volume for better results after vascular surgery has been documented in some areas. In the case of surgery for stenosis of the carotid artery surgeon volume has been found to be inversely related to the postoperative frequency of stroke and death (low volume <6-12 yearly), whereas the relation to hospital volume is more uncertain. For surgery of abdominal aortic aneurysms the same relationship has been documented for hospital volume (low volume <approx. 20 yearly), where the relation to surgeon volume is more uncertain. In Denmark, with vascular surgery being centralised to 9 departments, all departments fulfil the criteria for being high-volume hospitals, and most surgeons do the same. It is only in Carotid surgery that (1/3) of surgeons do not operate more than 10 patients a year.