America lost two of its greatest icons this month with the passing of Dick Clark and Mike Wallace. Not only did they have successful careers spanning decades and generations, but they were also the pioneers in their respective fields. The worlds of television and journalism would never be what they are today had it not been for them. But such success does not come without a price. I recently saw the last interview with Mike Wallace in which he said his one regret was the time his work took away from his family, and that he wondered sometimes if he loved his job more than his family.
To reach a level of success anywhere near that of a Dick Clark or Mike Wallace in any field takes an extraordinary amount of dedication and sacrifice. Working long hours, nights and weekends; being able to multitask and meet several deadlines; keeping your personal issues out of the workplace; and most importantly never complaining, are traits and sacrifices that are often rewarded in the workplace. Too much of this, however, and that same reward can be accompanied by stress which can negatively impact not only our professional and personal lives, but also our health and well-being.
Though most people may be unaware, I have had a chance to see how noticeable this is among surgeons. The traits and sacrifices which I mentioned above are possessed by almost all surgeons. Add to that the length of surgical training, dealing with life-and-death situations requiring immediate decision-making on a regular basis, and the rising rates of malpractice lawsuits, and you can see how an imbalance of reward versus stress can take its toll on surgeons causing both emotional and physical discomfort.
As a young surgeon, I’ve had the opportunity to hear some of the personal and professional experiences of my more experienced colleagues. I was surprised to learn of the number of failed marriages, premature heart attacks, and other medical conditions which were a result of these surgeons’ years of self-sacrifice spent saving the lives of others. But as time passes in my career, I see it’s not so hard to believe.
See physicians are notorious for making the worst patients themselves. Though quick to suggest medical care for others, we are not so quick to seek it for ourselves. A surgeon’s work can involve a great deal of physical stress on the body. A surgeon can stand on his feet for as long as 12 hours during a single procedure. Some will go without even taking a single bathroom break. Prolonged use of old, poorly designed, or poorly functioning surgical instruments during these procedures can lead to chronic nerve pain and arthritis.
And it doesn’t seem to be getting any better either. The rise of Laparoscopic Surgery and Minimally Invasive Surgery though beneficial for patients, have been shown to result in added stress and strain to the body as surgeons contort themselves into unconventional positions in order to provide their patients with the most advanced care. Not only do these surgeries take longer than the open versions, but for those who think there is a financial benefit involved, surgeons actually get paid less by insurance companies for Laparoscopic procedures than their equivalent open procedures.
Throughout our surgical training it was always implied that giving anything less than 110% of yourself was a sign of weakness. I have a great deal of respect for our older surgeons who have been able to tirelessly do this for so many years. However in today’s medical climate many are now finding themselves overworked and underappreciated. With the total number of surgeons in the country declining each year, it’s time we started taking care of each other. Or you won’t be seeing any Dick Clark’s or Mike Wallace’s in the surgical field anytime soon.
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