Dual Surgeon Operating to Prevent Colorectal Cancer Surgery Skill Fatigue in Rural Surgery—A Prospective Audit of 154 Patients

ABSTRACT Background Skill maintenance for rural surgeons is challenging. Surgery for colorectal disease requires a specialised skill set. Dual surgeon operating in low or medium volume centres may mitigate skill fade and improve surgical outcomes. There is a paucity of data on the outcomes of dual surgeon operating. Methods Prospective audit of outcomes after dual surgeon operations for colorectal disease in a non‐metropolitan surgical centre. Results are compared with treatment outcomes in the same hospital prior to the dual surgeon approach. Ethics approval CALHN Human Research Ethics Committee (Ref # 12041). Results One hundred fifty‐four patients underwent surgery for colorectal cancer during the audit period (November 2015 to February 2025). 60% of the patients were male ( N  = 92); median age was 70 years. Compared to the historic contr