Impact of Anaesthetist Volume on Radical Cystectomy Outcomes

Abstract Background Radical cystectomy (RC) is a gold standard treatment for aggressive bladder cancer. Higher surgical volumes through centralisation are associated with improved RC outcomes. The impact of anaesthetist experience and RC volume on outcomes is less clear. Objective We sought to examine RC outcomes stratified by anaesthetist volume using a contemporary homogenous series. Design, setting, and participants A retrospective analysis of a prospectively collected, single-surgeon database of RC patients over a 10-yr period. Intervention Four hundred and fifty-three consecutive patients underwent RC, including 430 (95%) with anaesthetist annotation. Outcome measurements and statistical analysis Anaesthetists were stratified into low- ( Results and limitations In total, 63 anaesthetists were included for analysis (median two RCs per anaesthetist). Of 63 anaesthetists, 56 (88.9%) and seven (11.1%) were classified, respectively, into low and high volume, and these provided cover for 110 (25.6%) and 320 (74.4%) patients, respectively. When comparing high- versus low-volume anaesthetists, there were shorter LOS (median [interquartile range {IQR}]: 10 [6–14] vs 12 [7–19] d, p =  0.008), lower blood loss (median [IQR]: 600 [384–1000] vs 800 [500–1275] ml, p p p  =  0.02). Conclusions Higher-volume anaesthetists have lower transfusion rates for RC patients. Whilst LOS and blood loss may also differ with experience, there is no difference in mortality after RC. Patient summary Radical cystectomy is a major operation. Experienced anaesthetists give fewer blood products to patients undergoing this operation. They may also help reduce blood loss and speed recovery. However, all other recovery measures were similar.