Female surgeons operate with better outcomes in female patients compared to male surgeons

 A peer-reviewed article published last December in an academic medical journal JAMA Surgery states that women patients are safer in female surgeon's hands compared to the male surgeon's hands. Women operated by a male surgeon have more chances of adverse events compared to those in whom female surgeons have operated. 

Large sample sized research on surgery and gender of surgeons

Researchers from the USA and Canada analyzed the data of surgery on a large number of patients of the two nations. 1.3 million records of operated patients from Ontario, Canada between 2007 and 2019 were subjected to a detailed study. 2,397 surgeons had operated on them. Their analysis revealed that female patients on whom male surgeons operated had 15% higher chances of worse outcomes compared to those on whom female surgeons operated. 

These women had 32% greater chance of dying. Major complications occurred 16% more in these patients and 11% rise in readmissions for surgery-related complications in a month of surgery. 

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But men had similar outcomes irrespective of the gender of the surgeon. But male patients had 13% higher risk of death at the hands of the male surgeon. The study co-author Dr. Angela Jerath said:

"Women surgeons are doing something right – we have to find out what it is and address it,"

The motivation behind the study

The study researchers belong to the Temerty Faculty of Medicine at the University of Toronto. They felt tempted to take up this study after a recent trend in medicine to challenge traditional assumptions on care. In 2017, they found that female surgeons fared better in surgery outcomes and hence pursued this study in more depth. Dr. Christopher Wallis, the other author said:

"Some male surgeons may feel threatened by our research. However, we take the alternate view that this presents an opportunity to learn, evolve and improve care for all patients," 

Bias against female surgeons

A 2020 study that was published in American Journal of Surgery had concluded that female surgeons are discriminated against. They are claimed to be less competent. They had lesser promotions in their professional life, were not chosen for leadership posts, had lesser scholarly productions and had more domestic and childrearing responsibilities.