Impact of Endoscopic Surgical Skill Qualification System-certified surgeons as operators in laparoscopic rectal cancer surgery in Japan: A propensity score-matched analysis (subanalysis of the EnSSURE study)

Background

In Japan, the Endoscopic Surgical Skill Qualification System (ESSQS) is used to evaluate surgical skills essential for laparoscopic surgery, but whether surgeons with this certification as operators improve the short-term outcomes and prognosis after rectal cancer surgery is unclear. This cohort study was designed to compare the short-term and long-term outcomes of laparoscopic surgery for advanced rectal cancer performed by an ESSQS-certified surgeon versus a surgeon without ESSQS certification.

Methods

The outcomes of cStage II and III rectal cancer surgery cases performed at 56 Japanese hospitals between 2014 and 2016 were retrospectively reviewed. To examine the impact of ESSQS-certified surgeons as surgeons, the outcomes of cases with only ESSQS-certified surgeons as operators were compared with those without involvement of ESSQS-certified surgeons.

Results

A total of 3197 cases were enrolled, with 1015 in which surgery was performed by ESSQS-certified surgeons, and 544 in which there was no involvement of ESSQS-certified surgeons. After propensity score matching, the ESSQS group had significantly shorter operative time (p < 0.001), a lower conversion rate to open surgery (p < 0.001), and more dissected lymph nodes (p = 0.002).

Conclusion

Laparoscopic rectal surgery performed by ESSQS-certified surgeons was significantly associated with improved short-term outcomes. This demonstrates the utility of the ESSQS certification system.