Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39627555›Full record

SynthesisSurgical endoscopy2025

The effects of stress on surgical performance: a systematic review.

Adam Tam, Samuel Bateman, Gavin Buckingham, Mark Wilson, G J Melendez-Torres, Sam Vine, James Clark

Abstract readSystematic Review
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Surgical endoscopy, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 20 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
20citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

20 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Trial
  2. Review
  3. Article
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  5. Article
  6. Article
  7. From incision to implantation: holter-based stress profiling in ophthalmology residents during cataract surgery.Graefe's archive for clinical and experimental ophthalmology = Albrecht von Graefes Archiv fur klinische und experimentelle Ophthalmologie · 2026
    Article
  8. Article
  9. Article
  10. Article
  11. Review
  12. Article
  13. Is Cooler Safer and More Advantageous? A Feasibility Study in Rabbits.European journal of cardio-thoracic surgery : official journal of the European Association for Cardio-thoracic Surgery · 2026
    Article
  14. Article
  15. Article
  16. Article
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  19. Article
  20. The Flush Model: A Novel Framework to Manage Surgeons' Mental Fatigue and Cognitive Load.Annals of surgery open : perspectives of surgical history, education, and clinical approaches · 2025
    Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Adam TamDepartment of Surgery, Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust, Truro, UK. at930@exeter.ac.uk.ORCID 0000-0001-8603-8402
Samuel BatemanPublic Health and Sport Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK.
Gavin BuckinghamPublic Health and Sport Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK.
Mark WilsonPublic Health and Sport Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK.
G J Melendez-TorresUniversity of Exeter Medical School, Exeter, UK.
Sam VinePublic Health and Sport Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK.
James ClarkDepartment of Surgery, Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust, Truro, UK.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionAcute stress, the psychological response to short-term challenging stimuli, is frequently encountered in the high-pressure environment of the operating theatre. Surgeon stress is associated with deterioration in surgical performance, surgical team working and compromised patient safety. Given these concerns, the aim of this review was to understand the impact of acute stress on surgical performance in technical and non-technical domains as well as patient outcomes.

methodsA systematic review was conducted following PRISMA guidelines. Electronic databases were searched for studies examining acute stress in medical professionals during real or simulated surgical procedures that reported performance outcomes in technical and non-technical skills. Risk of bias assessment was conducted using appropriate tools for each study design.

resultsOut of 1445 identified studies, 19 met the inclusion criteria. In simulated environments, acute stress consistently led to impairment in both technical and non-technical skills during surgical procedures. Technical skill deterioration included higher procedural error rates, longer task completion times and diminished instrument handling. Non-technical skills, such as teamwork and communication, also were impaired under stress conditions. Real-world studies echoed these findings, demonstrating acute stress resulting in higher error rates and impaired non-technical skills. No studies identified surgeon stress as having a causal relationship with patient outcomes.

conclusionAcute stress significantly impacts both technical and non-technical skills during surgical procedures, impairing performance in simulated and real-world surgical environments. Despite the growing understanding of the detrimental effects of stress, gaps remain in comprehensively assessing its impact on patient outcomes. Further research is warranted to develop reliable stress measurement methods applicable in surgical settings and explore effective stress management strategies.

Indexed as

Clinical CompetenceHumansMedical ErrorsOccupational StressStress, PsychologicalSurgeonsSurgical Procedures, OperativeAcute stressNon-technical skillsSurgical performanceTechnical skills

Identifiers

PMID39627555
PMCPMC11666721

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.