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Beyond the operating room: addressing the "second-victim" phenomenon in surgical practice

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posted on 2025-02-04, 11:52 authored by Wireko Andrew Awuah, Nicholas Aderinto, Arjun Ahluwalia, Jeisun Poornaselvan, Joecelyn Kirani Tan, Hareesha Rishab Bharadwaj, Patrick Ashinze, Anushka G Pujari, Vivek Sanker, Toufik Abdul‐Rahman, Oday Atallah, Arda Isik

Complications are plausible events during surgical operations. Surgical complications profoundly impact surgeons, often called "second victims" of adverse events. These complications trigger a range of emotional and psychological responses, including guilt, anxiety, heightened empathy, and the looming threat of burnout. Moreover, the toll extends to physical health, with chronic stress and sleep disturbances taking their toll. Surgeons' social lives are not immune to the fallout, and their career satisfaction may wane, pushing some towards defensive medicine practices. While mentorship, counselling, and peer support are crucial support mechanisms, they encounter barriers such as time constraints and the fear of negative perceptions. This paper suggests practical recommendations, including comprehensive wellness programmes, a streamlined badge card system for easy access to resources, and mindfulness training to mitigate stress and burnout. Recognising and proactively addressing these multifaceted impacts is imperative for cultivating a resilient medical community capable of providing optimal patient care.

History

Data Availability Statement

Data availability is not applicable to this article as no new data were created or analysed in this study.

Comments

The original article is available at https://eurjmedres.biomedcentral.com/

Published Citation

Awuah WA, et al. Beyond the operating room: addressing the "second-victim" phenomenon in surgical practice. Eur J Med Res. 2024;29(1):486.

Publication Date

5 October 2024

PubMed ID

39367498

Department/Unit

  • Undergraduate Research

Publisher

BioMed Central Ltd

Version

  • Published Version (Version of Record)