Ways of preventing surgeon burnout

• Published in: Journal of visceral surgery Vol. 160; no. 1; pp. 33 - 38
• Main Authors: Naviaux, A.-F., Barbier, L., Chopinet, S., Janne, P., Gourdin, M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: France Elsevier Masson SAS 01-02-2023
• Subjects: Burnout; Burnout, Professional - epidemiology; Burnout, Professional - prevention & control; Humans; Operating room; Prevention; Surgeons; Surgery; Workload; Prevention; Surgeons; Burnout; Surgery; Operating room
• ISSN: 1878-7886; 1878-7886
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jviscsurg.2022.09.005

•Burnout syndrome is a frequent occurrence among surgeons, with prevalence ranging from 34 to 53%. Most relevant studies appraise prevalence rather than prevention.•However, numerous means of surgeon burnout prevention exist, and involve not only the surgeons themselves, but also the institutions in which they evolve: from a personal standpoint, maintaining a viable work-life balance, avoiding toxic products; from a professional standpoint, receiving support from colleagues and the overall environment, employing humor and reserving time for rest and relaxation; from an institutional standpoint, earning more income, and benefiting from a sufficient amount of time dedicated to non-clinical activity.•The prevalence and impact of surgeon burnout syndrome necessitate the elaboration of new institutional strategies and the reinforcement of those already existing.
In surgical practice, numerous sources of stress (stressors) are unpredictable, two examples being daily workload and postoperative complications. They may help to explain surgeon burnout, of which the prevalence (34 to 53%) has been the subject of many studies. That said, even though assessments are legion, recommended solutions have been few and far between, especially insofar as by nature and training, surgeons are disinclined to interest themselves in burnout, which they are prone to consider as something experienced by “others”. The objective of this attempt at clarification is to identify in the literature the strategies put forward in view of avoiding surgeon burnout, and to assess the impact of this phenomenon not only on the surgeon's professional and personal entourage, but also on patient safety. Prevention-based strategies, many of them focused on modifiable stressors, will be detailed.