The overall volume of thoracic surgery cases was not significantly different after the implementation of the 80-hour work-week restriction. The total number of cardiac cases logged was substantially less during the same time period, and therefore as a result, the total number of cases performed after the implementation of the work-hour restrictions was also reduced. Although recent data have not shown an improvement in patient outcomes after restriction of resident work hours, we speculate that in a time of increasingly complex cases, reduction in resident case volumes caused by work-hour restrictions and decreasing cardiac cases might lead to inadequate operative experience.
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