Kaur, Harleen

Arayne, Aisha Abdulmoeed

Paredes, Steven

Barbaro, Antonio

Elgindy, Yara

Tran, Steven

Senaratne, Jayantha

2024-12-06

There is limited published data on the caseload of general surgeons in Central Australia. The region has a significant Indigenous population, who often face higher rates of chronic diseases and require more frequent surgical interventions compared to non-Indigenous individuals. This study aims to outline the workload of surgeons at Alice Springs Hospital to determine the necessary skill set and surgical education for future surgeons.A retrospective review of all general surgery operative cases performed in Central Australia, Alice Springs Hospital was conducted between January 2012 and December 2021. The RACS Morbidity Audit and Logbook Tool was used to classify surgical procedures along with Medicare Benefits Schedule item numbers. Tables were created to present the annual and specialty-specific data on the types and volumes of procedures.From January 2012 to December 2021, 35 318 cases were performed, with 92.5% being general surgery, 3% plastics and reconstructive surgery and 2.8% vascular procedures. Indigenous patients received a higher proportion of procedures (50-60%) compared to non-Indigenous patients (30-50%). Common procedures included incision and drainage of abscesses and debridement of wounds, while trends across specialties showed a decline in ENT and plastic surgeries, stable thoracic and vascular cases, and increased numbers of urology operations.General surgeons in rural centres must possess a wide range of skills and be capable of performing a variety of procedures. Trainees should be encouraged to consider practicing in rural areas, and those interested should account for the specific needs of the communities they plan to serve.

Department of Surgical Specialties and Anesthesia, Lyell McEwin Hospital, South Australia, Australia.

Department of Surgery, Alice Springs Hospital, Northwest Territories, Australia.

Department of Surgery, Alice Springs Hospital, Northwest Territories, Australia.

Department of Surgery, Alice Springs Hospital, Northwest Territories, Australia.

School of Medicine, University of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.

Department of Surgical Specialties and Anesthesia, Lyell McEwin Hospital, South Australia, Australia.

Department of Surgery, Alice Springs Hospital, Northwest Territories, Australia.

Department of Surgery, The Queen Elizabeth Hospital, South Australia, Australia.

Department of Surgery, Alice Springs Hospital, Northwest Territories, Australia.

Department of Surgery, Alice Springs Hospital, Northwest Territories, Australia.

Department of Surgery, The Royal Adelaide Hospital, South Australia, Australia.

Department of Surgery, Alice Springs Hospital, Northwest Territories, Australia.

ANZ J Surg . 2024 Dec 6. doi: 10.1111/ans.19323. Online ahead of print.

1445-2197

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39641201/?otool=iaurydwlib

https://hdl.handle.net/10137/13870

Alice Springs

Central Australia

general surgery

other categories

rural

surgical education

Operative caseload of general surgeons working in a rural hospital in Central Australia.

Journal Article

Publication