Current trends in U.S. general surgery practice consolidation

•From 2012 to 2020, the distribution of general surgeons markedly shifted from smaller to larger practices.•The number of surgeons in our sample increased by 3% from 2012 to 2020, while the number of unique practices declined by 21%.•The trend toward consolidation in general surgery is significant at both the national and regional levels.•The reason for consolidation in general surgery may involve a combination of regulatory, economic, and cultural factors.