Gynecological surgery: Its profile

Abstract From over a half-million hospital patients a description of 31,269 patients who had approximately 49,000 gynecological surgical procedures has been presented. A practical method of study was used: this consisted of an arbitrary division of all operations into ten “priority” groups and consideration of these with the patient's age, other operations, and diagnoses. This produced a broad cross sections of this surgical specialty as it is, not as it should be or as it might be. These data are averages, not “normals.” This material can be used in an interested hospital by preparing similarly made profiles and comparing them with the results of this study. Differences should be discussed, the necessity of auditing invidivual charts may become apparent, and then decisions affecting the practice habits of that hospital may be made. The end result is improved patient care. This study has provided a point of reference.