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Burnout among paediatric surgeons: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Sebastian Kirdar-Smith1, Ricardo Twumasi2, Charlotte Capon3
1Guy's, King's and St Thomas' School of Medical Education, King's College London, London, UK sebastian.kirdar-smith@kcl.ac.uk.
Insights
Nearly one in three paediatric surgeons experience burnout, with a pooled prevalence of 29.4%. This rate is lower than in other surgical fields, suggesting protective factors like rewarding work and supportive practices. Further interventions are recommended for physician well-being.
Area of Science:
- Medical Research
- Surgical Specialties
- Physician Welfare
Background:
- Burnout is a significant concern impacting physician well-being and patient care.
- Surgeons report higher burnout rates; however, burnout in paediatric surgeons remains under-researched.
- This study addresses the gap by systematically reviewing burnout prevalence in paediatric surgeons.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the pooled prevalence of burnout among paediatric surgeons.
- To identify and analyze factors influencing burnout in this population.
- To provide evidence for targeted interventions to improve paediatric surgeon well-being.
Main Methods:
- Systematic review and meta-analysis adhering to PRISMA and MOOSE guidelines.
- Inclusion of 15 studies reporting primary data on paediatric surgeon burnout using validated metrics.
- Random-effects meta-analysis to estimate pooled prevalence, with subgroup and meta-regression analyses.
Main Results:
- A pooled burnout prevalence of 29.4% (95% CI 20.3% to 40.5%) was found across 2757 paediatric surgeons.
- Burnout rates varied significantly (7.8% to 73.7%), with heterogeneity explained by study quality and measurement tools.
- Studies using the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) reported lower burnout (22.4%) than non-MBI tools (44.9%).
Conclusions:
- Nearly one-third of paediatric surgeons experience burnout, a rate lower than in other surgical disciplines.
- Factors such as personal accomplishment, family-centered care, and multidisciplinary collaboration appear protective.
- Specialty-specific interventions and mentorship are crucial for sustaining paediatric surgeon well-being.
Background:
Burnout is increasingly identified as a factor affecting physician welfare, and subsequently patient care. Surgeons are known to experience higher rates of burnout compared with the general population. No review has focused exclusively on burnout prevalence among paediatric surgeons. This systematic review and meta-analysis aims to determine the prevalence of burnout among paediatric surgeons, alongside identifying and analysing potential influences.
Methods:
Using Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses and Meta-analysis of Observational Studies in Epidemiology guidelines, following our published PROSPERO protocol (CRD42025640570), 719 records were identified from inception through 13 January 2025. Included studies produced primary data reporting paediatric surgeon burnout prevalence, using validated burnout metrics. Main exclusion criteria were: study or population irrelevance, study type and duplicates. All available data were extracted; authors were contacted for original data. Random-effects meta-analysis with restricted maximum likelihood estimation estimation was conducted to estimate a pooled burnout prevalence, further subgroup analyses and meta-regressions were performed.
Results:
Meta-analysis of 15 studies (2757 paediatric surgeons) revealed a pooled burnout prevalence of 29.4% (95% CI 20.3% to 40.5%), with substantial heterogeneity (I²=96.4%). Burnout rates ranged from 7.8% to 73.7%. Studies using the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) reported significantly lower burnout (22.4%) compared with non-MBI tools (44.9%; p=0.025). No publication bias was detected. Study quality and measurement tool choice explained 35.3% and 24·5% of heterogeneity, respectively.
Conclusions:
This study establishes that nearly one in three paediatric surgeons experience burnout, with a pooled prevalence of 29.4% (95% CI 20.3% to 40.5%). This rate, while concerning, is notably lower than other surgical disciplines. Strong personal accomplishment, resulting from emotionally rewarding work with children, appears protective, alongside structurally embedded practices such as family-centred care and multidisciplinary collaboration. Personality traits associated with increased agreeableness, conscientiousness and emotional stability may further reduce susceptibility to burnout. Specialty-specific interventions, supported by structured mentorship, are critical to sustainable well-being throughout paediatric surgical practice.
