ABSTRACT
If a group of surgeons are asked a simple question, ‘Do you feel stressed while operating?’, you will get range of answers, from ‘Not at all’ to ‘Yes, too much’. There are many reasons behind this variability of responses. First, the term stress is applied too liberally and non-specifically. It may reflect different experiences to different individuals. Second, it may be difficult to specify what stress is. This leads
to a third reason: difficulty in identifying it. Then comes the fourth reason: There is no clear-cut demarcation between when the experience of stress is good and when it is not. In addition, the level of complexity of the surgery itself, experience in doing the procedure, expectations of patient and family, as well as the familiarity of the surgeon with equipment, surgical staff and operating room, may all contribute to the presence or absence of the sense of stress for the surgeon. For all these reasons, surgeons generally have difficulty in acknowledging stress and its potential impact on their performance. Moreover, stress is seen as a weakness. Since it is seen as a failing, nobody would like to admit it. Additionally, many believe that stress is an inevitable part of their work; therefore, they have to tolerate it.2 They also like to think they can deal with stress in any situation.
