Wellness interventions in surgery: a scoping review

Wellness research has expanded in surgery owing to the high prevalence of burnout. In this scoping review, we aim to identify trends of wellness interventions for surgeons and surgical trainees.

We identified studies on wellness interventions across surgical specialties. We categorized interventions based on the targeted wellness domain, including physical, social, emotional, intellectual, and occupational domains.

We included 49 studies in the final analysis. Most focused on resident wellness (n = 40) and were categorized as an individual-level intervention (n = 21). General surgery was represented in most studies (n = 24). Interventions focused on ergonomics, mindfulness, stress reduction, work hours, and wellness programs. Since 2015, there has been a shift in the wellness domains addressed from physical and occupational, to mostly emotional.

The prevalence of individual-level interventions targeting emotional wellness reflects a belief that surgeons are responsible for their own wellness. Studies to date have largely focused on surgical trainees, with a dearth of research on measures to improve staff surgeon wellness. Methodologically sound intervention studies with objective outcome measures are lacking and needed to facilitate a culture of shared organizational responsibility for surgeon well-being.