Supervisor volume affects oncological outcomes of trainees performing open radical prostatectomy

Abstract

Background: The relationship between biochemical failure (BF) rate and surgeon experience following open radical prostatectomy (ORP) has been well established, but BF when ORP is performed by urology trainees who are supervised by urologists of differing volume has not. We aimed to compare the oncological outcomes from ORP when a urology trainee as primary operator and is supervised by a high- or low-volume consultant urologist. Methods: Using a centralized whole of population dataset, created through the Victorian Radical Prostatectomy Registry, patients were classified as either those where a consultant was the primary operator, a urology trainee was the primary operator and supervised by ..