Surgeon Perspectives on Pregnancy Loss

To voice surgeons' experiences with pregnancy loss during training and identify current gaps in support structures within training programs.

Previous literature emphasizes the prevalence of pregnancy loss among female surgeons, frequently reporting a rate of more than double that of the general population. Despite this, little has been done to voice the personal experiences behind this data and to identify solutions to support trainees through these events.

Semistructured focus groups and individual interviews were conducted between June and August of 2025. Surgeons within 5 years of general surgery residency graduation and current surgical fellows and general surgery trainees who identify as female and as having had a pregnancy loss during surgical training were recruited through targeted social media platforms. Transcripts were individually coded, and emerging codes were iteratively refined into themes related to the pregnancy loss experience and gaps in support resources.

Participants described the multidimensional impact of pregnancy loss during general surgery training. Mental health, physical, and professional impacts were pervasive. Five barriers to seeking support were identified: burden to colleagues, privacy concerns, reputation concerns, guilt and isolation, and rigidity of training. Facilitators to seeking support, though fewer, were greatly beneficial. These thematic categories informed critical gaps in general surgery program support structures and important components of a pregnancy loss policy designed to reduce stigma, promote trainee well-being, and mitigate attrition from the field.

This study highlights the pregnancy loss experience among current and former general surgery trainees and uses these experiences to propose necessary support structures to be implemented within training programs.