Mental 3D Visualization: Building Surgical Resilience for Performing High-Risk Procedures

Area of Science:

• Surgical Education
• Psychological Resilience
• Performance Under Pressure

Background:

• Psychological resilience is vital in demanding professions but under-addressed in surgical training.
• Surgeons face unique stressors during high-risk surgical steps.
• Understanding surgeons' perspectives on managing stress is crucial for improving training.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate how surgeons perceive performance under pressure during high-risk surgical procedures.
• To identify factors contributing to psychological resilience in surgical training.
• To explore strategies for stress management in surgical education.

Main Methods:

• Constructivist grounded theory approach.
• 12 semi-structured interviews with teaching surgeons across 10 specialties.
• Analysis of protective and vulnerability factors for resilience.

Main Results:

• Mental 3D visualization is key for preoperative planning, intraoperative adaptation, and emotional regulation.
• Staying calm under pressure and building surgical resilience depend on mental 3D visualization, experience, intentionality, and self-reflection.
• Adapting to risk in high-risk surgery is contingent on these factors.

Conclusions:

• Mental 3D visualization is essential for managing pressure and fostering long-term surgical resilience.
• Residency curricula should incorporate progressive education on mental 3D visualization.
• Creating intraoperative environments that encourage risk adaptation is recommended.