Mayo Clinic study finds overlapping surgeries safe

Editor's Note

Overlapping surgical procedures are safe and provide the same outcomes for patients as non-overlapping procedures, this study finds.

The analysis of 10,614 overlapping surgical procedures performed at the Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, found no difference in the rates of postoperative complications or deaths within a month after surgery, compared with 16,111 non-overlapping procedures.

Overlapping surgeries give patients greater access to expert surgical teams, allow more efficient use of ORs, and avoid unnecessary downtime for surgeons, the authors say.

ROCHESTER, Minn.­ - A common way of scheduling surgeries to expand patient access to care and improve hospital efficiency, known as "overlapping surgeries," is as safe and provides the same outcomes for patients as non-overlapping surgeries, a Mayo Clinic study has found.