What is known?
Improved mortality outcomes have been reported following gastrectomy in high-volume centres internationally, however not in Australia.
What is new?
Low volume, low service hospitals have nearly three times the rate of 30-day mortality and double the rate of 90-day mortality following gastrectomy compared with high volume, high service hospitals.
There was no difference in the adjusted mortality compared between high service capability hospitals irrespective of their resection volume.
What does this mean?
Post-operative mortality following gastric cancer surgery may be optimised by centralising gastrectomy in high volume, high service hospitals.
Contact: Peter Baade
Reference: Narendra A, Baade PD, Aitken JF, Fawcett J, Smithers BM. Impact of hospital resection volume and service capability on post-operative mortality following gastrectomy. ANZ Journal of Surgery. 2020; 90(12): 86-91.