Evidence map›Paper›PMID 28736640›Full record

ArticleJournal of gastrointestinal oncology2017

Systematic review and a meta-analysis of hospital and surgeon volume/outcome relationships in colorectal cancer surgery.

Ya Ruth Huo, Kevin Phan, David L Morris, Winston Liauw

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of gastrointestinal oncology, 2017. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 78 papers, 6 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
78citing papers in PubMed, 6 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
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

78 citing papers in PubMed, 6 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Pooled it
  4. Pooled it
  5. Pooled it
  6. Pooled it
  7. Trial
  8. Trial
  9. Article
  10. Observational
  11. Observational
  12. [Centralization of liver surgery in Germany].Chirurgie (Heidelberg, Germany) · 2026
    Review
  13. Article
  14. Article
  15. Article
  16. Article
  17. Article
  18. Article
  19. Article
  20. Article

18 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

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

4 authors.

Ya Ruth HuoHepatobiliary and Surgical Oncology Unit, UNSW Department of Surgery, St George Hospital, Kogarah, NSW, Australia.
Kevin PhanNeuroSpine Surgery Research Group (NSURG), Prince of Wales Private Hospital, Sydney, Australia.
David L MorrisHepatobiliary and Surgical Oncology Unit, UNSW Department of Surgery, St George Hospital, Kogarah, NSW, Australia.
Winston LiauwFaculty of Medicine, St George Clinical School, UNSW Australia, Kensington, NSW, Australia.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundNumerous hospitals worldwide are considering setting minimum volume standards for colorectal surgery. This study aims to examine the association between hospital and surgeon volume on outcomes for colorectal surgery.

methodsTwo investigators independently reviewed six databases from inception to May 2016 for articles that reported outcomes according to hospital and/or surgeon volume. Eligible studies included those in which assessed the association hospital or surgeon volume with outcomes for the surgical treatment of colon and/or rectal cancer. Random effects models were used to pool the hazard ratios (HRs) for the association between hospital/surgeon volume with outcomes.

resultsThere were 47 articles pooled (1,122,303 patients, 9,877 hospitals and 9,649 surgeons). The meta-analysis demonstrated that there is a volume-outcome relationship that favours high volume facilities and high volume surgeons. Higher hospital and surgeon volume resulted in reduced 30-day mortality (HR: 0.83; 95% CI: 0.78-0.87, P<0.001 & HR: 0.84; 95% CI: 0.80-0.89, P<0.001 respectively) and intra-operative mortality (HR: 0.82; 95% CI: 0.76-0.86, P<0.001 & HR: 0.50; 95% CI: 0.40-0.62, P<0.001 respectively). Post-operative complication rates depended on hospital volume (HR: 0.89; 95% CI: 0.81-0.98, P<0.05), but not surgeon volume except with respect to anastomotic leak (HR: 0.59; 95% CI: 0.37-0.94, P<0.01). High volume surgeons are associated with greater 5-year survival and greater lymph node retrieval, whilst reducing recurrence rates, operative time, length of stay and cost. The best outcomes occur in high volume hospitals with high volume surgeons, followed by low volume hospitals with high volume surgeons.

conclusionsHigh volume by surgeon and high volume by hospital are associated with better outcomes for colorectal cancer surgery. However, this relationship is non-linear with no clear threshold of effect being identified and an apparent ceiling of effect.

Indexed as

Colorectal cancerhospital volumemeta-analysessurgeon volumevolume-outcome

Identifiers

PMID28736640
PMCPMC5506277

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
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.