Plastic Surgery Residency Year Influence on Surgery Duration

Document Type

Conference Proceeding

Publication Date

9-2026

Publication Title

Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. Global Open

Abstract

Objective: This study aims to understand how the presence of residents and the program year (PGY) of residents affects operative durations.

Methods: A retrospective review from 2017-2024 of all surgeries performed by the PRS department at one institution was performed. Surgeries were excluded if there was a secondary attending surgeon, a fellow, or a non-PRS resident present. Surgeries were grouped by primary procedure and duration of surgery from incision to closure was obtained. For each procedure, a Kruskal-Wallis Test was performed comparing surgery duration by PGY, and a Wilcoxon Rank Sum test was used to compare surgery duration with no resident and one resident, no resident and two residents, one resident and two residents, and no resident compared to PGY 1-6 as supporting surgeon.

Results: A total of 12,337 surgeries met inclusion criteria. The 24 most commonly performed surgeries were included in the analysis for a total of 6,455 surgeries. Of those, 2,849 were performed with one resident as supporting surgeon, 652 with 2 residents as supporting surgeons, and 2,954 surgeries with no supporting surgeon. For a reduction mammoplasty, median duration was lower when either one or two residents were present compared to no resident (p< 0.0001, both). Compared to no resident, the median duration was higher when a PGY1 was supporting (18 minutes longer, p=0.02), no difference when a PGY2 was supporting, and 19-37 minutes shorter (p< 0.0001, all) when a PGY3-6 was supporting. Additionally, when one resident was supporting compared to no resident the duration for a cleft lip repair, cleft palate repair, alveolar bone graft, and abdominoplasty were shorter. There was no difference in duration for the other surgeries analyzed. When two residents were supporting compared to no resident, the duration for a head and neck mass excision, breast reconstruction, facial fracture repair, and torso mass excision were longer.

Conclusion: Having one resident as supporting surgeon in cases does not increase surgical duration, and in some cases decreases duration. Having two residents supporting in a case can, in some instances, extend surgery duration, possibly due to complexity of case or resident-to-resident teaching. Reduction mammoplasty duration shows an intended learning curve, with an increase in duration when a PGY-1 is supporting, most likely due to teaching time. Subsequently, there is no duration difference when a PGY-2 is supporting, and at PGY3 and later the surgery duration is shortened by the presence of a resident showing an increase in competency.

Volume

14

Issue

Suppl 4

First Page

19

Last Page

20

Comments

Michigan Academy of Plastic Surgeons 34th Biennial Scientific Meeting, July 12-15, 2026, Mackinac Island, MI

DOI

10.1097/01.GOX.0001276776.86880.85

ISSN

2169-7574

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