Comparing Plastic Surgeon Versus Orthopedic Surgeon Outcomes Following Distal Upper Extremity Amputations: A Study of the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP) Database

Background: Both plastic and orthopedic surgeons manage care for urgent/emergent hand conditions. It is unclear if surgeon specialty affects patient outcomes of these cases. The purpose of this study was to evaluate differences in 30-day perioperative outcomes between plastic and orthopedic surgeons following distal upper extremity amputations. Methods: Patients who underwent distal upper extremity amputations between 2005 and 2016 were identified within the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP) database usingCurrent Procedural Terminology(CPT) codes. Differences in operative procedures, patient demographics, patient comorbidities, and 30-day perioperative complications were compared between orthopedic and plastic surgeons by univariate analysis. A Bonferroni correction was applied to account for multiple comparisons of complications. Results: A total of 1583 cases met inclusion criteria. Orthopedic surgeons performed 981 cases (62.0%) and plastic surgeons performed 602 cases (38.0%). Finger amputations comprised the majority of procedures for both orthopedic and plastic surgeons (95.5% and 94.4%, respectively). Orthopedic surgeons had a lower operative time (41.7 +/- 36.2 minutes vs 47.1 +/- 40.9 minutes,P= .008). There were no differences in proportion of emergency surgery, inpatients, or wound class. There were no differences in age, gender, or body mass index. The most common indications for amputation were trauma, gangrene, and osteomyelitis. There were no differences between surgical specialties in 18 30-day perioperative complications assessed, including death, reoperation, surgical site infection, or wound dehiscence. Conclusions: Plastic and orthopedic surgeons achieved equivalent outcomes comparing 30-day perioperative complications following upper extremity amputations. These results support that both orthopedic and plastic surgeons provide similar quality distal upper extremity amputation care.