Effect of hospital volume on postoperative mortality and survival after oesophageal and gastric cancer surgery in the Netherlands between 1989 and 2009

Oesophagectomy was effectively centralised in the Netherlands, improving mortality and survival. Gastrectomies were mainly performed in low volumes, and outcomes after gastrectomy improved to a lesser extent, indicating an urgent need for improvement in quality of surgery and perioperative care for gastric cancer in the Netherlands.