SAFE TRAINING FOR THORACIC SURGEONS

As Aggarwal and Darzi point out in their editorial in this month’s Thorax, recent changes in the delivery of health care have led to difficulties in reconciling service and training priorities, particularly the training of thoracic surgeons. Chaudhuri and colleagues report an interesting study where outcomes of patients undergoing lobectomy (used as a marker operation) were studied and results compared between trainee thoracic surgeon led operations and consultant led operations. 35% of lobectomies were performed with the trainee as the first operator and outcomes—including mortality, respiratory, cardiovascular, bleeding, renal and neurological complications—were similar in the two operative groups. Survival rates at 1 year were also similar in procedures led by trainees and those by experienced consultants. The authors conclude that, with appropriate supervision, trainee surgeons can perform lobectomies safely and without compromising short or intermediate term results. The accompanying editorial also gives us an insight into …