Patients treated by female doctors have a lower risk of complications, according to research.

According to a study published in JAMA Surgery, researchers in Canada found that male and female patients treated by female surgeons for fractures, hip replacements, and heart problems were about 10 percent less likely to experience complications such as internal bleeding or infection within 90 days following surgery than those treated by male surgeons. They were also 6 percent less likely to be hospitalized for surgery-related problems up to a year later. 

The study, which included roughly 1.2 million patients, suggests that the difference in results may be due to variances in how patients responded to guidance from male and female doctors. Male doctors were more likely to face disagreements from patients of both genders when giving advice on weight loss, exercise, and diet compared to female doctors. In an unrelated study, male doctors were also found to get the job done quicker, showing they had significantly shorter operating times for surgeries like gallbladder removal than their female counterparts. The majority of doctors are men and the share has been steadily increasing in recent decades. The Canadian researchers noted that female doctors were more likely to have younger patients with fewer risk factors than their male counterparts.