Decreased Bile Duct Injury Rate During Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy in the Era of the 80-Hour Resident Workweek

Abstract

The 80-hour workweek restriction for residency training was instituted on July 1, 2003, because of concerns about patient safety and resident well-being. However, some surgical educators have expressed misgivings about the restricted hours because of more frequent shift changes, decreased patient exposure for residents, interruption in continuity of care, and increased potential for communication breakdown. As a result of these concerns, it has been hypothesized that duty-hour restrictions may lead to paradoxical deterioration in patient care and surgical outcomes at teaching hospitals.¹ These warnings have been mitigated, at least in part, by recent published articles.^2-5 For example, we recently demonstrated that trauma outcomes at a busy level I trauma center were unchanged after the institution of the 80-hour workweek.²