Evidence map›Paper›PMID 27563346›Full record

ArticleEcancermedicalscience2016

Laparoscopic radical prostatectomy outcome data: how should surgeon's performance be reported? A retrospective learning curve analysis of two surgeons.

Sarah Mason, Mieke Van Hemelrijck, Ashish Chandra, Christian Brown, Declan Cahill

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Ecancermedicalscience, 2016. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
0.6field-weighted citation impact, top 27% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 8 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Review
  3. Article
  4. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors at 4 institutions in 1 country.

Sarah MasonKing's College London, Division of Cancer Studies, Cancer Epidemiology Group, London, UK.
Mieke Van HemelrijckKing's College London, Division of Cancer Studies, Cancer Epidemiology Group, London, UK.
Ashish ChandraKing's Health Partners, London SE1 9RT, UK.
Christian BrownKing's Health Partners, London SE1 9RT, UK.
Declan CahillKing's Health Partners, London SE1 9RT, UK; Royal Marsden Hospital, London SW3 6JJ, UK.
Kings Health Partners · GBKing's College London · GBLondon Cancer · GBRoyal Marsden Hospital · GB

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveTo document the learning curve for the laparoscopic radical prostatectomy (LRP) procedure and discuss the optimal usage of prospectively documented outcome data for reporting a surgeon's performance. MATERIALS AND

methodsUsing prospectively collected data from the first series of patients to undergo LRP by two surgeons in the same institution, linear and logistic regression multivariate analyses per 25 patients were carried out to graphically represent the surgical learning curve for operative time, blood loss, complications, length of stay (LOS), and positive margins. Surgeon A carried out 275 operations between 2003-2009; Surgeon B carried out 225 between 2008-2012.

resultsLearning curves showing continuous improvement of each of the above outcomes were demonstrated for both cohorts. For surgeon A, a plateau was observed for LOS and T2 positive margins after 100 and 150 surgeries respectively. No such plateau was observed for surgeon B.

conclusionOn documenting these learning curves and discussion of the reporting methods used, we concluded that the most informative outcome measure, with the least potential observer bias was T2 positive margins. Whether as a single measure or in combination with others, this has potential for use as an objective outcome representative of improvement in a surgeon's skill over time.

Indexed as

learning curvepatient outcome assessmentprostatectomyprostatic neoplasmssurgeons

Identifiers

PMID27563346
PMCPMC4970620
OpenAlexW2461877540

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.