Presentation Information
[SY5-1]Global benchmarks for minimally invasive right hemicolectomy for cancer
*Daichi Kitaguchi1, Fariba Abbassi2,3, Matthias Turina2 (1. Department of Surgery, Institute of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, Japan, 2. Department of Visceral and Transplant Surgery, University of Zurich, 3. Institute of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Prevention, University of Zurich)
Introduction: Benchmarking is a quality improvement process that identifies best practices and enables comparison of performance and outcomes with the highest achievable standards while accounting for influencing factors. Initially developed for quality assessment in business and manufacturing, benchmarking has increasingly been applied in surgical outcome research. Benchmark cut-offs represent the best achievable outcomes for a specific procedure and serve as reference standards for surgical performance. By comparing outcomes with benchmark values, centres and surgeons can identify quality gaps and areas for improvement, potentially improving surgical quality and patient outcomes. The aim of this study was to establish benchmark cut-offs for commonly used outcome parameters in elective minimally invasive right hemicolectomy (RHC) for adenocarcinoma of the ascending colon.
Methods: To establish internationally valid benchmark cut-offs for RHC in right-sided colon cancer, the validated ten-step benchmarking approach was applied. Patients aged ≥18 years with confirmed adenocarcinoma of the right hemicolon and a follow-up of at least 6 months were included. Benchmark cut-offs were calculated according to validated definitions and Delphi consensus. Benchmarks were defined as the 75th percentile of all centres’ median values for negative outcomes and the 25th percentile for positive outcomes.
Results: Twenty-one centres from six continents submitted data on eligible patients. Data from 686 ideal patients were used to establish benchmark cut-offs. Key benchmark values included an R0 resection rate of 100.0%, ≥96.9% of patients with ≥12 lymph nodes harvested, ≥23 lymph nodes harvested, and an anastomotic leak rate ≤3.0%. At discharge, benchmark values included a major complication rate ≤5.6%, a median Comprehensive Complication Index of 0, and a mortality rate of 0.0%.
Conclusion: This study establishes benchmark values for outcome parameters of minimally invasive RHC that can serve as reference standards for evaluating surgical performance.