ABSTRACT
There are remarkable parallels between the performing arts and the performance of surgery, not least that both take place in a theatre and involve the repeated delivery of an exacting series of actions to produce a satisfactory result. This chapter explores the similarities and the differences between the two fields and what one might learn from the other. Using minimally invasive surgery, also known as ‘keyhole surgery’, as a case study, the steps in training are described, including the transition from a simulation in a laboratory, equivalent to a rehearsal, to operating on a live patient, analogous to a live theatre performance before an audience. Drawing also on sports science, the physical and mental preparation for performing this kind of surgery and the neurobiology of the ‘performance zone’ are explained as ways in which common elements of performance can be understood across diverse disciplines and contexts.
