Biometric Analysis of Surgeons' Physiologic Responses During Surgery

Area of Science:

• Physiology
• Surgical Stress
• Hemodynamics

Background:

• Existing literature primarily addresses surgeons' stress and burnout from a social science perspective.
• There is a notable gap in scientific research quantifying the hemodynamic effects of surgical stress.
• This study addresses the need to understand the physiological impact of surgery on acute care surgeons.

Purpose of the Study:

• To prospectively quantify the physiological impact of performing surgery on acute care surgeons.
• To investigate the hemodynamic changes experienced by surgeons during surgical procedures.
• To provide objective data on the metabolic demand placed on surgeons during operations.

Main Methods:

• A prospective clinical study involving acute care surgeons over 2.5 years.
• Surgeons were monitored with devices recording physiological variables every 30 minutes.
• Key variables included blood pressure (BP), heart rate (HR), rate pressure product (RPP), oxygen saturation (O2 sat), and end-tidal carbon dioxide (ET CO2) for surgeries exceeding 2 hours.

Main Results:

• Significant increases (P < .05) in BP (101 to 117 mmHg) and HR (70.5 to 83.7 bpm) were observed during surgery compared to baseline.
• Oxygen saturation (O2 sat) and end-tidal carbon dioxide (ET CO2) also showed statistically significant changes (P < .0001).
• The rate pressure product (RPP) averaged 14.00 mmHg/min, indicating increased cardiac workload.

Conclusions:

• Surgery imposes a significant physiological and metabolic demand on surgeons, extending beyond social science perspectives.
• This research provides initial data demonstrating the acute hemodynamic effects of surgical practice.
• Longitudinal exposure to increased physiological demand may pose risks for cardiovascular and cerebrovascular health in surgeons.