American Heart Association Journal Report: Surgical Residents Perform Heart Surgery as Effectively as Staf...(rgery -- 58.6 percent for staff cases vs...),Health

percent for resident cases.

None of these differences were statistically significant after considering that as a group the patients operated on by residents as primary surgeons were sicker.

The average follow-up time was three years, with a maximum of eight years.

Baskett emphasized the importance of supervised training of surgical residents, especially for the benefit of future generations of heart surgery patients.

"The important message is that it is safe to train residents if they are appropriately supervised," Baskett said. "It is not only safe, even with complex procedures, but it is very important. That should make patients very comfortable. It is critical that trainees operate because they're going to be the ones operating on the next generation -- your kids."

The National Center for Health Statistics estimates that in 2005, 469,000 CABG procedures were performed on 261,000 patients in the United States and there were 106,000 valve replacements.

Co-authors are: Serban C. Stoica, M.D.; Dimitri Kalavrouziotis, M.D.; Billie-Jean Martin, M.D.; Karen J. Buth, M.Sc.; Gregory Hirsch, M.D.; and John A. Sullivan, M.D. Individual author disclosures can be found on the manuscript.

Statements and conclusions of study authors published in American Heart Association scientific journals are solely those of the study authors and do not necessarily reflect the association's policy or position. The association makes no representation or guarantee as to their accuracy or reliability. The association receives funding primarily from individuals; foundations and corporations (including pharmaceutical, device manufacturers and other companies) also make donations and fund specific association programs and events. The association has strict policies to prevent these relationships from influencing the science content. Revenues from pharmaceutical and device corporations are avail
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