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Previous Volume 350:1256-1258 March 18, 2004 Number 12 Next

	Since this article has no abstract, we have provided an extract of the first 100 words of the full text and any section headings.

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To the Editor: Birkmeyer et al. (Nov. 27 issue)¹ demonstrated that an individual surgeon's volume was a better predictor of lower mortality for certain high-risk operations than hospital volume. Kizer, in an accompanying editorial,² interpreted these data to conclude that patients and health plans should preferentially choose high-volume surgeons for certain procedures or should at least avoid low-volume surgeons.

As a surgeon and surgical educator, I do not doubt the validity of the data reported by Birkmeyer et al., nor do I disagree with Kizer's recommendations. However, we must remember that every high-volume surgeon began practice as a low-volume surgeon, . . . [Full Text of this Article]

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