Do surgeons have a sell-by date?

When should surgeons retire? Do they have a defined shelf life and a sell-by date? At what point should they chuck in the scalpel and hang up their gloves? The answer to these questions for young and old surgeons is found by them merely looking around themselves: the young to make continuous mental notes about what to do (and not to do) when they get older; older surgeons to do so as a reality or insight check. The first gaze is at the theory and understanding that underpins surgery - academic surgery if you will - and the second gaze is at the craft of cutting, for surgeons are really just journeymencraftsmen, the better ones with well-developed cognitive and manipulative skills.