Surgical performance anxiety (SPA) has risen among surgeons, affecting their overall health. A nationwide cross-sectional study was carried out in the United Kingdom to investigate the prevalence and potential impact of performance anxiety in surgeons, as well as its relationship with psychological qualities and wellbeing. 

A total of 631 responses were collected from the participants. The average age was 41.2 years old, and the average surgical experience was 15.3 years. 62% of participants were male with 52% of consultant/attending grade. 100 percent of the participants agreed that SPA affected surgeons out of which 87 percent had experienced the anxiety themselves. 65 percent said SPA had a bad influence on surgical performance, and 96 percent said it had a negative impact on surgeons′ well-being.

Female surgeons were more adversely affected by SPA compare to Male surgeons. Surgeons who had experienced SPA reported significantly lower levels of satisfaction than surgeons who did not have SPA. Surgeons, on average, have much inferior mental health than the general population. Thematic analysis revealed a reluctance to openly communicate SPA and the need for cultural transformation.

Surgical performance anxiety was found to be a very prevalent and major difficulty among surgeons in the United Kingdom, across all specialties and at all levels of expertise. It had a negative impact on their surgical performance and was linked to a decrease in their psychological well-being. The study was published this month in Annals of Surgery. (Medscape Medical News April 5, 2022) Annals of Surgery: April 2022 - Volume 275 - Issue 4 - p 632-639doi: 10.1097/SLA.0000000000005199