A nationwide certification system to increase the safety of highly advanced hepatobiliary-pancreatic surgery

Background: To ensure that highly advanced hepatobiliary-pancreatic surgery (HBPS) is performed safely, the Japanese Society of Hepato-Biliary-Pancreatic Surgery (JSHBPS) board certification system for expert surgeons established a safety committee to monitor surgical safety. Methods: We investigated postoperative mortality rates based on summary reports of numbers and outcomes of highly advanced HBPS submitted annually by the board-certified training institutions from 2012 to 2019. We also analyzed summary reports on mortality cases submitted by institutions with high 90-day post-HBPS mortality rates and recommended site visits and surveys as necessary. Results: Highly advanced HBPS was performed in 121 518 patients during the 8-year period. Thirty-day mortality rates from 2012 to 2019 were 0.92%, 0.8%, 0.61%, 0.63%, 0.70%, 0.59%, 0.48%, and 0.52%, respectively (P <.001). Ninety-day mortality rates were 2.1%, 1.82%, 1.62%, 1.28%, 1.46%, 1.22%, 1.19%, and 0.98%, respectively (P <.001). Summary reports were submitted by 20 hospitals between 2015 and 2019. Mortality rates before and after the start of report submission and audit were 5.72% and 2.79%, respectively (odds ratio 0.690, 95% confidence interval 0.487-0.977; P =.037). Conclusions: Development of a system for designation of board-certified expert surgeons and safety management improved the mortality rate associated with highly advanced HBPS.