Women in Cardiothoracic Surgery: Impact on Partners, Coparents, and Children

Careers in cardiothoracic surgery may affect home life in numerous ways, including relationships and interactions with family members of all ages. We aimed to gather the perspectives of partners, spouses, coparents, and adult children of women cardiothoracic surgeons to characterize the impact on family dynamics and household relationships.

A survey was disseminated electronically to partners or spouses, coparents, and adult children of women cardiothoracic surgeons. Participants answered questions regarding the impacts on daily life, distribution of responsibilities, and shared long-term goals.

A total of 71 participants completed the survey, including 43 (60.6%) spouses, 12 (16.9%) partners, 4 (5.6%) other coparents, and 12 (16.9%) adult children. Although more than one-half believed that having a surgeon parent positively contributed to life skills development, 71% (15 of 21) expressed concerns about the negative impact of demanding work hours on children's emotional well-being. Partners shouldered a significant portion of responsibilities, with 55% (11 of 20) handling the majority of tasks, including child care, school activities, and medical appointments. Financial stability was a noted benefit, acknowledged by 85% (23 of 27) of partners. Analyses revealed a significant association between irregular working hours and job-related stressors on relationship tension and inadequate quality time together (P < .001). Importantly, more than one-half (58.3%; 7 of 12) of adult children recognized their cardiothoracic surgeon mothers as role models and credited these woman with teaching them important life skills.

These findings highlight the need for support mechanisms for women surgeons and their families and emphasize the importance of recognizing both challenges and positive effects arising from a woman CT surgeon's career.