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Plastic surgeon's life: marvelous for mind, exhausting for body.
Yener Demirtas1, Murat Tulmac, Reha Yavuzer
1Department of Plastic, Reconstructive, and Aesthetic Surgery, and Cardiology, Gazi University Faculty of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey. yenerdemirtas@hotmail.com
Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
|October 7, 2004
Summary
Surgery causes significant mental stress in surgeons, leading to increased sympathetic nervous system activity. This stress is more pronounced in lead surgeons compared to assistants, potentially impacting cardiac health.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Occupational Health
- Psychosomatic Medicine
Background:
- Surgery is a demanding profession causing significant physical and mental strain.
- Understanding the impact of operative stress on surgeons' mental well-being is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the mental burden and operative stress experienced by surgeons.
- To test if surgical stress leads to cardiovascular changes.
- To compare stress levels between lead surgeons and first assistants.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of heart rate variability (HRV) using digital ambulatory Holter recorders.
- Monitoring 12 surgeons (staff and residents) on both operating and office days.
- Computerized analysis of HRV indices: low frequency, high frequency, high frequency/low frequency ratio, and heart rate.
Main Results:
- Surgeons exhibited increased sympathetic and decreased parasympathetic activity during operations compared to office days.
- Both operators and first assistants showed sympathetic hyperactivity.
- Lead operators displayed more pronounced sympathetic arousal than first assistants.
Conclusions:
- Surgical operations induce significant mental stress, evidenced by sympathetic hyperactivity in surgeons.
- This stress is greater for lead operators, highlighting unique occupational psychological stressors.
- Prolonged sympathetic hyperactivity may increase cardiac disease risk in surgeons, suggesting consideration as occupation-related illnesses.