Trauma surgeons: Have we achieved gender equality?

Purpose

Several concerns regarding gender equality in orthopedic surgery do exists. The aim of this study was to (1) compare operative times, (2) compare mortality rates, (3) investigate gender disparities in hip fracture surgeries, and (4) analyze gender distribution among attending and resident surgeons performing Closed Reduction Internal Fixation (CRIF) and Hemiarthroplasty (HA)

Methods

All patients >75 years old treated for proximal femur fractures in a level-one trauma center in a four-year timeframe were retrospectively enrolled. Exclusion criteria were follow-up <3 years, incomplete data, active patients treated with total hip arthroplasty (THA) and other surgeries performed during the same anesthesia. Patients were grouped according to procedure: 1) Closed Reduction Internal Fixation (CRIF) and 2) Hemiarthroplasty (HA). Gender and level of expertise (residents or attending surgeon) of leading surgeons (male (M), female (F) and non-binary (NB)) was extracted from medical records. Operative time, mortality rates, and the likelihood of performing either CRIF or HA were compared across genders.

Results

A total of 172 leading surgeons (M: 141 (82%); F: 31 (18%); NB: 0 (0%)) performed 1916 surgical procedures (CRIF: 1425 (74.4%); HA: 491 (25.6%)). 14.7% were performed by female surgeons (group 1: 15.5%; group 2: 12.2%; p = 0.076). No gender disparities were observed in the mean operating times for either group 1 (p = 0.759) or group 2 (p = 0.981). Similarly, there were no significant differences in mortality rates between genders in group 1 (p = 0.5779) or group 2 (p = 0.069). Additionally, no significant gender disparities were found in the performance of CRIF (p = 0.636) or HA (p = 0.141). Finally, analysis of gender distribution among attending and resident surgeons across various procedures, including CRIF and HA, revealed no significant differences in gender distribution (CRIF: p = 0.133, HA: p = 0.468, all procedures: p = 0.122).

Conclusions

Despite orthopedics still being a male-dominated field, gender does not affect surgical outcomes or the likelihood of performing CRIF or HA. However, the focus should shift towards improving inclusivity in surgical education and practice by providing equal opportunities and removing social and educational barriers based on gender.