UC Davis

Objective

To investigate the impact of surgery resident training on surgery duration in tibial plateau leveling osteotomy (TPLO) and evaluate whether surgery duration differs with each year of residency training.

Study design

Retrospective medical record review.

Animals

A total of 256 client-owned dogs underwent TPLO.

Methods

Records of dogs that underwent TPLO between August 2019 and August 2022 were reviewed. The effects of the surgeon (faculty/resident) and the procedure (arthrotomy/arthroscopy) on TPLO surgery duration were examined with an analysis of variance, and geometric least squares means (GLSM) were compared. A linear mixed effects model (LMM) was fitted to quantify fixed and random effects.

Results

Four faculty surgeons performed 74 (29%) TPLOs, while 10 residents performed 182 (71%) TPLOs under the direct supervision of a faculty surgeon. All TPLOs were conducted with arthrotomy (109; 43%) or arthroscopy (147; 57%). Overall, residents (GLSM, 153 min) required 54% more surgery duration than faculty surgeons (GLSM, 99 min). Surgery duration among first-year residents (GLSM, 170 min) was 15% longer than second- (GLSM, 148 min) and third-year (GLSM, 147 min) residents, whereas the duration did not differ statistically between second- and third-year residents. Arthroscopy, meniscal tear treatment, surgery on the right stifle, and increasing patient weight were also associated with longer surgery duration.

Conclusion

The duration of TPLO surgery significantly decreased after the first year of residency, but did not decrease afterward.

Clinical significance

The results will aid with resource allocation, curricula planning, and cost management associated with resident training.