Percentage of female surgeons performing carpal tunnel release may be increasing
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Key takeaways:
- Female representation among surgeons who perform carpal tunnel release has increased from 2013 to 2021.
- Other practice disparities may exist between female and male hand surgeons.
Published results showed female representation among surgeons who perform carpal tunnel release has increased from 2013 to 2021; however, other practice disparities exist between female and male surgeons.
“The study highlights notable gender-based differences in surgical practices, reimbursement and patient demographics among male and female surgeons performing carpal tunnel release,” Alejandro M. Holle, BS, a medical student at the Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine in Scottsdale, Arizona, told Healio.
Holle and colleagues used the Medicare Physician & Other Practitioners database to analyze gender disparities and trends for 653,382 open carpal tunnel release procedures and 228,965 endoscopic carpal tunnel release procedures performed between 2013 and 2021.
Overall, Holle and colleagues found the number of female surgeons performing open carpal tunnel release increased 53.7%, while the proportion of female surgeons performing endoscopic carpal tunnel release increased 156% during the study period.
Regarding open carpal tunnel release, Holle and colleagues found female surgeons had fewer beneficiaries per surgeon (443.37 vs. 354.20), performed fewer billable services per beneficiary (6.37 vs. 5.35) and performed fewer unique billable services (91.13 vs. 77.79) compared with male surgeons.
In addition, they found these female surgeons treated a lower percentage of white patients (88.14% vs. 86.48%), a higher percentage of female patients (60.06% vs. 61.70%) and a higher percentage of dual-enrolled Medicare and Medicaid patients (10.54% vs. 11.22%) compared with male surgeons.
According to Holle, the results of this study emphasize “the need for addressing gender disparities not only in gender representation but also practice patterns and referral dynamics.” Holle said differences in practice styles between male and female surgeons may not be taken into account by reimbursement systems, leading to financial disadvantages among female surgeons.
“Addressing these disparities requires re-evaluating reimbursement structures to ensure equitable compensation for all surgeons,” Holle said. “Future research should explore strategies to ensure equitable reimbursement and care across patient populations, shaping a more inclusive orthopedic workforce.”
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