Do surgeons adjust clinical productivity after maternity leave?

Background: It has been speculated that women's productivity decreases after maternity leave. In this study, we measured if surgeon clinical productivity decreases after a maternity leave or other types of leave. Methods: Data from a large medical center was used to measure surgeon productivity before (pre) and after (post) a leave of absence. Post-to-pre productivity ratios were calculated for each leave based on operative volumes and Relative Value Units (RVUs). Multivariate linear regression analysis was performed for the post/pre productivity ratios, adjusting for surgeon characteristics. Results: Fifty leaves of absence, from 30 surgeons, were analyzed. There was no significant difference between post and pre leave productivity for maternity leave or other types of leave. There was also no significant difference when comparing post/pre productivity ratios between maternity leaves versus other types of leave (volume: 0.06, p = 0.52; RVU: 0.08, p = 0.58). Conclusion: Surgeons do not significantly reduce clinical productivity after maternity or other types of leaves.