Volume-Outcome Associations for Parathyroid Surgery in England: Analysis of an Administrative Data Set for the Getting It Right First Time Program.

Importance: Previous studies have suggested an association between surgical volume and patient outcomes for parathyroid surgery. However, most previous studies are relatively small and the literature is dominated by studies form the US, which might not be readily generalizable to other settings.

Objective: To investigate volume-outcome associations for parathyroid surgery in England.

The volume and outcome relationship for thyroidectomy in England.

Purpose: The delivery of surgical care in England has seen a momentum towards centralisation within larger volume hospitals and surgical teams. The aim of this study was to investigate outcomes in England in relationship to hospital and surgeon annual volumes for total thyroidectomy.

Methods: Data were extracted from the Hospital Episodes Statistics (HES) database for England.

Volume-outcome relationship for adrenalectomy: analysis of an administrative dataset for the Getting It Right First Time Programme.

Background: A minimum volume threshold of at least six procedures per annum per surgeon has been set in UK and European guidelines for adrenal surgery. The aim of this study was to investigate outcomes for adrenal surgery in England relative to annual surgeon and hospital trust volume.

Methods: Data were extracted from the Hospital Episodes Statistics database for England.

Retained port connectors after central venous port removal.

We report three cases where the connector/sleeve, which helps fix the flexible catheter section to a port injection chamber, was inadvertently left in scar tissue during port removal. Concerned patients presented months later with a palpable subcutaneous nodule, near the port site. The nodules were variably imaged with plain X-rays, mammography or ultrasound with the diagnosis correctly made by a surgeon familiar with devices.