A total of 1605 abstracts were available for review. In total, 30.4% (n = 484) of presenters, 30.7% (n = 489) of first authors, 28.9% (n = 460) of second authors, and 16.9% (n = 268) of senior authors were women. Gender was not categorized for 7.0% (n = 111) of presenters, 7.3% (n = 117) of first authors, 9.7% (n = 155) of second authors, and 6.0% (n = 96) of senior authors. The proportion of women increased linearly in all categories: presenter (2.4%/year, 95% CI [1.88, 2.99], p < 0.001, R2 = 0.91), first author (2.4%/year, 95% CI [1.84, 2.99], p < 0.001, R2 = 0.90), second author (2.0%/year, 95% CI [1.14, 2.85], p < 0.001, R2 = 0.72), senior author (1.9%/year, 95% CI [0.92, 2.85], p = 0.002, R2 = 0.65), and overall (2.2%/year, 95% CI [1.70, 2.66], p < 0.001, R2 = 0.91), over the entire study period. Women represented 13.1% of SAGES membership in 2012 compared to 23.3% in 2023 (1.1%/year, 95% CI [0.96, 1.32], p < 0.001, R2 = 0.95).

Prior to 2018, proportion of females increased annually for presenter (coefficient: 0.026, 95% CI [0.016, 0.037], p = 0.002), first author (coefficient: 0.026, 95% CI [0.016, 0.037], p = 0.002), and overall abstract authors (coefficient: 0.017, 95% CI [0.010, 0.025], p = 0.003), but there was no significant difference in 2018 or in the years following (p > 0.05) (Figs. 1, 2). The proportion of female second authors increased annually prior to 2018 (coefficient: 0.012, 95% CI [0.003, 0.021], p = 0.042) and increased by 0.14 (95% CI [0.070, 0.208]) in 2018 (p = 0.006) (Fig. 3). The annual proportion trend of female senior author did not significantly change over the course of the study period (p > 0.05) (Fig. 4).

Interrupted time series analysis of women presenter proportion by year (2011–2022). *p-value < 0.05, **p-value < 0.01

Interrupted time series analysis of women first author proportion by year (2011–2022). *p-value < 0.05, **p-value < 0.01

Interrupted time series analysis of women second author proportion by year (2011–2022). *p-value < 0.05, **p-value < 0.01

Interrupted time series analysis of women last author proportion by year (2011–2022). *p-value < 0.05, **p-value < 0.01

A total of 1198 (75.2%) abstracts led to publications, 1016 (84.8%) of which were published in Surgical Endoscopy. Overall, women were as likely as men to be first (79.0% vs 77.0%, p = 0.284) or senior author (79.0% vs 77.0%, p = 0.702) in abstracts culminating in publications. There was no difference in woman first author publication rates before and after 2018 (80.0% vs 79.0%, p = 1.000), but the senior author publication rate for women increased after 2018 (71.0% vs 83.0%, p = 0.032). Of abstracts with both first and senior author gender known, 64% (n = 905) were gender concordant. Gender concordance versus discordance between the first and senior authors did not show a difference in incidence of publication (78.5% vs 77.8%, p = 0.783).