The British journal of surgery
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Significant barriers exist to surgeons being good parents and parents being good surgeons, and these barriers are heightened for women. Considering the gender balance now present in postgraduate medical schools, it is critical that these barriers are overcome if surgery is to attract and retain applicants. This study aimed to investigate patterns of parenthood in surgery, explore associated attitudes and experiences, and identify barriers and solutions within an Australian and New Zealand context. ⋯ Many barriers to parenthood in surgery are created by rigid workplace and professional structures that are reflective of male-dominated historical norms. A willingness to be flexible, innovative and rethink models of training and employment is central to change.
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Benchmarking is an important tool for quality comparison and improvement. However, no benchmark values are available for minimally invasive spleen-preserving distal pancreatectomy, either laparoscopically or robotically assisted. The aim of this study was to establish benchmarks for these techniques using two different methods. ⋯ Two benchmark methods for minimally invasive distal pancreatectomy produced different values, and should be interpreted and applied differently.