The discussion regarding the establishment of the minimum quantity requirements for the surgical treatment of lung and breast cancer was initiated by the Federal Joint Committee (G-BA) in July of 2018

In July of 2018, the Federal Joint Committee (G-BA) has initiated the discussion regarding the establishment of the minimum quantity requirements for the following procedures:

• The surgical treatment of breast cancer;
• The surgical treatment of bronchial carcinoma.

As the quality of surgery is directly dependent on the quantity, more specifically, on the number of operations performed at a given hospital as well as on the designated surgeon, the main aim is to understand the importance of the experience and routine practice of lung and breast cancer operations to reach the successful treatment outcomes and to determine the minimum number of operations, which should be performed in hospitals to gain enough experience.

Nowadays, the minimum quantity requirements are established by G-BA in accordance with §136b SGB V for the following procedures:

• Liver transplantation (including living organ donation)
• Kidney transplantation (including living organ donation)
• Complex interventions on the digestive system (esophagus)
• Complex interventions on pancreas
• Stem cell transplantation
• Total knee replacement (total endoprosthesis, TEP)
• Care of premature and newborns of very low birth weight (less than 1250 grams)

See full details in German here.

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