Surgeons' Experiences After Surgical Errors: Insights From a Urology Department

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Surgical Safety
• Psychology

Background:

• Surgical practice presents unique challenges, with adverse patient events impacting surgeons' well-being.
• Understanding the multifaceted effects of these events is crucial for surgeon support.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the influence of adverse surgical events on surgeons' personal well-being, emotional state, and professional performance.
• To identify surgeons' experiences and coping mechanisms following surgical errors.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative descriptive study utilizing semi-structured interviews.
• Thematic analysis of data from 13 urology faculty members and residents.

Main Results:

• Six key themes emerged: psychological/emotional impact, professional practice effects, social support, external factors, access to psychological support, and legal consequences.
• Surgical errors identified included technical, cognitive, decision-making, unintentional, fatigue-related, diagnostic, and equipment/environment-related issues.

Conclusions:

• Adverse surgical events have profound personal and professional consequences for surgeons.
• Institutional support, such as counseling services, can mitigate stress and foster learning from errors.
• Viewing mistakes as growth opportunities benefits both surgeons and patients.