Transmission of hepatitis B virus from a surgeon to his patients during high-risk and low-risk surgical procedures during 4 years.

Objective: We investigated cases of acute hepatitis B in The Netherlands that were linked to the same general surgeon who was infected with hepatitis B virus (HBV).

Design: A retrospective cohort study was conducted of 1,564 patients operated on by the surgeon. Patients were tested for serologic HBV markers.