Prepare to be amazed by the findings of a groundbreaking study! It turns out that patients who undergo surgery with a female surgeon have better outcomes compared to those operated on by their male counterparts.
This incredible research team delved into the question of whether the sex of the surgeon had any impact on patient outcomes. They meticulously analyzed data from a whopping one million patients who underwent surgery in Ontario, Canada, between January 1, 2007, and December 31, 2019. The patients had undergone one of 25 common elective or emergency surgeries, and the team closely monitored their progress for any “adverse postoperative event, defined as the composite of death, readmission, or complication” occurring within 90 days and one year after the surgery.
Comparing the outcomes between male and female surgeons was the next step. And guess what? This study, along with another fascinating one published just yesterday, which focused on cholecystectomy patients, discovered that individuals treated by male surgeons had worse outcomes.
“After taking into account various factors such as patient characteristics, procedure details, surgeon expertise, anesthesiologist involvement, and hospital attributes, our cohort study reveals that patients treated by female surgeons experience lower rates of adverse postoperative outcomes, including death at 90 days and 1 year after surgery, compared to those treated by male surgeons,” the team explained in their study. “These findings provide further evidence of disparities in patient outcomes based on the sex of the physician, highlighting the need for deeper investigation into the underlying causes and potential solutions.”
Interestingly, the difference in outcomes became even more pronounced after a full year following the surgery.
Despite these remarkable findings being consistent across multiple studies, the exact cause behind them remains elusive.
“Despite the undeniable data, women continue to face marginalization in the workplace in various ways,” the researchers concluded. “To ensure the highest quality of patient care, organizations must actively support women physicians and learn from their practices that lead to these improved outcomes.”
You can find the full study published in the esteemed journal JAMA Surgery.
