The following is a summary of “Outcomes of Supervised Resident Compared To Attendings In Transurethral Resection Of Bladder Cancer: The Importance Of Mentoring,” published in the April 2023 issue of Urology by Diana et al.
Urology residency programs often vary in quality, and while surgical exposure is pivotal for trainees, patient safety remains paramount. This study compares the procedural performance of conventional or en bloc transurethral resection of bladder tumors (cTURBT/ERBT) between urology residents and attending physicians. Part of a prospective randomized trial (NCT04712201) involving bladder cancer (BC) patients undergoing endoscopic intervention, the analysis included tumors sized ≤3 cm, ≤3 Lesions and no signs of muscle invasion or ureteral involvement.
Senior urology attendings and supervised residents in their 3rd-5th year conducted surgeries. Results from 300 eligible patients revealed comparable intra and postoperative outcomes between the two groups (p>0.05), encompassing 248 patients who underwent the assigned intervention. Both linear and logistic regression analyses confirmed consistent results (p>0.05). Mentorship for residents is essential to ensure comparable surgical outcomes and accurate pathological diagnoses, warranting structured programs, proficiency assessments, and experienced mentors across urology residency programs.
Source: auajournals.org/doi/10.1097/JU.0000000000003253.12
