Surgery in Italy. Criteria to identify the hospital units and the tertiary referral centers entitled to perform it : A proposal for esophageal, hepatic, pancreatic and colo-rectal surgery

A recent Italian study clearly shows that patients suffering from colorectal liver metastasis and treated in referral Centres receive the “best treatment” with better surgical outcomes and long term survival . Moreover, it is very interesting to note how an inter-hospital network and partnership is able to level the results achieved between higher and lower volume Centres for liver surgery, suggesting the feasibility of accreditation pathways