The operative mortality was independent of surgeon experience

Those about to undergo surgery by a young surgeon can reassure the risk they die after the operation is not proportional to the number of years of physician practice which operates the results indicate a study published on the website of the " British Medical Journal "
The British team of researchers led by Ben Bridgewater, of the University Hospital of Manchester, analyzed the records of nearly 19,000 patients who underwent their first coronary surgery between April 1997 and March 2003, hospitals in the North West England. For more than 5,600 of them , the intervention was performed by a surgeon in office for less than four years.

They analyzed the operative mortality of different surgeons based on their experience: during the first year following their appointment, and for each of three years, and these results were compared with those observed for the most experienced surgeons.

The overall mortality rate (observed mortality and predicted mortality before surgery ) in this study was 2 % , and did not present significant differences by the surgeon who performed the procedure was tested (2%) or was in his first four years in office (1.9 %).

However , there is still a gradual reduction in mortality during the first year after the appointment , the authors note.

It goes from 2.2% for the first year to 1.2% for the fourth , and this trend persisted after adjustment results.

The expected mortality following for its reverse trend , with an increase during the first four years of practice , suggesting that surgeons operate on patients with diseases increasingly complex .

These findings suggest that the application of the European Directive 93/ 104 on the working time should exert a negative impact on the experience of young surgeons and the evolution of the " learning curve ," say the authors .

Applicable in France since 1 January 2003, the directive requires in particular to limit working time to 48 hours per week , including guards , and establish a daily rest period of 11 hours per 24 hour period .