Reported Quality Metrics in Published Series of Esophageal Resections

Hannah M Schaefer1,2#, Naureen Iqbal3#, Ashley N Hardy3, M Sazzad Hassan4,5, Roderich E Schwarz4-6, Leonard R Henry3,4 and Urs von Holzen1,3,4,5*

1Department of Surgery, University Hospital Basel, Switzerland
2Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Germany
3Goshen Center for Cancer Care, USA
4Indiana University School of Medicine South Bend, USA
5Harper Cancer Research Institute, USA
6Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, USA
#These authors contributed equally to this article

^*Correspondance to: Urs von Holzen 

 PDF  Full Text DOI: 10.25107/2474-1647.3292

Abstract

Background: The definition of quality in health care in general and in surgery specifically is intensely debated. In this study, we investigated how results of esophageal resection are reported in surgical series. Methods: A review of the literature was performed, followed by a comprehensive analysis of predefined operative and oncologic quality metrics. Results: Sixty three studies focused on surgical treatment of esophageal carcinoma. Eighty-three percent provided detailed information on the operative technique used. Thirty-two percent reported recurrence rates, and sixty-two percent provided the number of resected nodes. Residual tumor status was provided in 72%. Graded postoperative morbidity was used in only 6%. Conclusion: Current clinical studies often fail to report crucial information on surgical quality criteria. The use of standardized platforms for recording complications and quality measures, including long-term outcome data associated with esophagectomy are needed, and can lead to an improvement of therapy and reduction of complications.

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Cite the article

Schaefer HM, Iqbal N, Hardy AN, Hassan MS, Schwarz RE, Henry LR, et al. Reported Quality Metrics in Published Series of Esophageal Resections. Clin Surg. 2021; 6: 3292.