Patients treated by female surgeons ‘less likely to die,’ research finds

Female surgeons may take longer to complete surgery, following a more methodical approach, compared to their male counterparts, findings reveal

Patients treated by female surgeons have better chances of effective recovery and are “less likely to experience death,” according to a new study that raises further questions on the underlying causes.

The study of over one million people, published recently in the journal JAMA Surgery, found patients treated by female surgeons have a lower likelihood of adverse outcomes at 90 days and a year following their surgical procedures.

In this research of 1 ,165, 711 included patients, 151, 054 were treated by female surgeons and 1 ,014 ,657 were treated by male surgeons.

These findings support differences in patient outcomes based on the sex of physicians, according to researchers, including those from the University of Toronto in Canada.

Another study, also published recently in the same journal, assessed patient outcomes after gallstone removal – a commonly performed surgical procedure – and found female surgeons outperformed their male counterparts in the field on average.

It found that female surgeons have “more favorable outcomes” and that they “operate more slowly” than male surgeons in the gallstone-removal procedure.

In an accompanying editorial in the journal, Sweden’s Skane University Hospital surgeon Martin Almquist said the differences might be due to the differing attitudes towards risk taking among men and women.

Dr Almquist said the observed differences may also be due to a surgeon’s ability to collaborate with others, and in being “patient-centered” while making decisions.

“Evidence has suggested that female surgeons are more likely to use patient-centered decision-making, more willing to collaborate, and more carefully select patients for surgery. These differences might translate into different outcomes for female and male surgeons,” he wrote.

“Being accurate and careful most likely beats risk-taking and speed when it comes to consistently achieving good outcomes for the patient,” Dr Almquist said.

Both the Jama studies observe that female surgeons may take longer to complete surgery, following a more methodical approach, compared to their male counterparts.

Scientists hope further assessment of such differences between male and female surgeons can shed light on ways to avoid adverse outcomes.

The findings are also an important step in evaluating the implications of diversifying surgical practice in healthcare delivery, they said.