Hospital surgical volume and perioperative mortality of pelvic exenteration for gynecologic malignancies.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

To examine the association between hospital surgical volume and perioperative mortality of pelvic exenteration performed for gynecologic malignancies.

METHODS

A population-based retrospective study utilizing the Nationwide Inpatient Sample was conducted to examine pelvic exenteration for gynecologic malignancies from 2001 to 2011. Annualized hospital surgical volume was defined as the average number of procedures a hospital performed per year in which at least one case was performed, and this was correlated to perioperative mortality.

RESULTS

A total 1912 exenterations performed at 181 centers were included. Nearly two thirds of exenteration-performing centers had a minimum surgical volume of one case per year (121 centers, 66.9%). Perioperative mortality rate was 1.8%. In multivariable analysis surgical volume remained an independent factor for perioperative mortality (adjusted-odds ratio 0.21; 95% confidence interval, 0.09-0.49; P < .001). Perioperative mortality rates were 3.7% for the centers with minimum surgical volume (1 exenteration a year), 1.4% for the centers performing more than one but two or less exenterations a year, and 0% for the top decile centers (>2 exenterations a year), respectively (P < .001).

CONCLUSION

Pelvic exenteration for gynecologic malignancy is a rare surgical procedure with most hospitals performing few cases annually. A higher surgical volume of pelvic exenteration was associated with lower perioperative mortality.